Of Faux and Friends
by Jade Evangeline
Summary: Seven years ago Darien left Serena and moved the US. Now he's back to win her heart. Will she forgive him and take him back? Or will some surprises put a wedge between them? Chapter 14!
1. Chapter 1

Of Faux and Friends

Chapter One: Part 1

A/N: I must be insane starting a brand new story. But what the hell I've been wanting to write this for a long time. Despite what you think after you read this, it is a Darien and Serena story, it will just take some time to get there. Bear with me.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Rating: M (for violence, language, and sexual situations)

I

I

"Serena, guess what I just found out!" said Mina as she burst through the double glass doors that led to Serena's office.

"I'm kind of busy right now, Mina," said Serena as she continued to concentrate on her work. She hoped that her blonde friend would tire of being ignored and leave on her own.

"Oh come on," said Mina, "you can take a five minute break for your friend who has news that she's dying to tell you."

Serena sighed loudly before closing the book on her desk and looking to Mina. "Five minutes."

"Okay, well someone is back in town," said Mina in a sing song voice, before standing up and sitting on Serena's expensive, glass desk.

"Don't smudge that," said Serena, grabbing a picture and pulling it from under Mina's butt. "It's for the Vera Wang layout."

"Excuse me, Ms. Executive Serena," said Mina, mock hurt. "If you don't want to know who's back in town then I can leave."

"Grab a muffin on your way out, they're not non-fat and disgusting; your favorite flavor."

Mina huffed. "Oh no you don't, you are not getting rid of me that easily."

"You know your five minutes are ticking away right?"

"Fine, fine. Okay so I saw Raye last night, and she was super excited about something and she went on about planning a welcome back party."

"That's good for her," Serena said sincerely, "she needs some distraction after that fiasco with her and Chad."

"Exactly, so being the number one wedding planner in all of Tokyo, I volunteered to help. And guess what? She turned me down!"

Serena frowned. "Why would she do that?"

"Oh for good reason. I asked her why and she said that the person coming back is super special to her and she'd like to do it especially for him!"

"_Him?_" said Serena giddily, leaning back in her plush leather chair and twisting her pen. "Do continue."

"I thought that would interest you. So here I am thinking it's her new love interest or some celebutante that she met at the law firm," said Mina scoffing. "But you won't believe who it is!"

Serena smiled. "The suspense is killing me," she said dryly.

"It's Darien!" said Mina, falling into a fit giggles. Serena's face remained stoic. "Oh my god, don't tell me you don't remember Darien?"

"Of course I remember him," snapped Serena, pulling her chair toward her desk and looking at her computer screen.

"That's it, that's the only reaction I get from you? Serena, Dr. Darien Chiba, your mortal enemy is returning to Tokyo and Raye is planning some huge party for him and you don't care? I mean you're not the least bit worried that there might be _something_ going on between the two of them?"

"And if it is, so what?" asked Serena, annoyed. She was having a damn fine day until Mina pranced in here with news. The last thing Serena wanted to talk about was Darien.

"Oh my god, do we want a repeat of high school? Her drooling all over him and Darien otherwise preoccupied?"

"Mina," said Serena, in a matter of fact tone, "first of all, I don't care that mighty Dr. Darien is coming back to Tokyo. Secondly, if Darien and Raye do have something going on, then congratulations to them, it's none of our business. And lastly, we've been out of high school for almost seven years. I think she's mature enough to handle rejection."

"Even after the disaster that led to her non-relationship with Chad?"

"Chad is a jerk. He cheated on her; they're broken up, end of story. Raye's strong, she'll handle it," said Serena before looking up sharply and eyeing the mischievous expression on Mina's face. "And you are strictly prohibited from playing matchmaker."

"Moi?" asked Mina, an innocent look on her face as she batted her big blue eyes.

"Yes, you, last time you tried to find Lita a boyfriend he ended being an ex-convict."

"Yea, but we know Darien."

"No, we _knew_ Darien," said Serena abruptly. "It's been a long time since any of us have seen him. Don't do anything you'll regret. You know Raye isn't exactly the forgiving type."

Mina sighed before running her fingers through her shoulder length hair. "You're right," she said. "I should probably go now. I have a client who's a size twenty-six and is trying to wear a linen dress to her posh beach wedding. Her mother commissioned me to talk her out of it."

Serena smiled sympathetically. "So lunch?"

"Yea, see you tomorrow at noon."

"Good luck with your client," said Serena.

"You too. Bye."

Serena watched as Mina rushed out of her office and to the busy streets of downtown Tokyo. She had gotten good at lying over the past few years, mainly because of her job, but she was having a coronary over Mina's news. She couldn't believe that after all this time, Darien was coming back. She didn't want to hear his name, let alone see him. But knowing Raye, she'd force Serena to be everywhere Darien was, hoping that they could all be friends. All she had to do was find a way to avoid Darien at all costs, even if that meant not seeing her friends for a while.

I

I

Serena stared somberly at the many outfits that lined the walls of her walk in closet in the expensive penthouse apartment that she lived in. It was Saturday and her and the girls were going to lunch and shopping. It was something they did every Saturday, but that didn't mean that Serena didn't get excited about it. After college, they all kind of went their separate ways. Between juggling careers and men, they didn't see as much of each other as they liked, even though as of now, all of them were single.

Without notice, Serena reached for a pair of black Gucci pants, matching leather boots and a white, off the shoulder cashmere sweater before quickly throwing on her clothes and walking back into her vast bedroom to apply makeup. She absentmindedly applied a light gloss over her lips, smoky blue eye shadow and mascara before looking at herself in the mirror. She fluffed her back length wavy hair before grabbing her purse and heading out the door. She peaked at the clock on her way out and realized that it was a quarter after eleven. She had plenty of time.

Thanks to good traffic, well good for Tokyo at least, Serena found herself at Carousel, their favorite café, ten minutes early. Unsurprisingly her other friends were already there.

"Hi," said Serena, sitting down between Lita and Mina.

"Hey, so did you hear the news?" asked Lita, grinning mischievously at Raye.

If Serena had sunglasses on she would have rolled her eyes. She couldn't even sit down without them bringing _him _up. "Yea, I heard," she said, smiling jovially. "When is he coming back?"

"Tomorrow night," said Raye, beaming.

If Serena had been eating food, she might have choked. Gracefully. "That's…soon."

"I know, isn't it great? Okay so, I planned a little something for him at Oasis," began Raye, as Mina threw Serena a knowing look.

"Oasis, the night club Oasis?" asked Amy.

"Yea!" squealed Raye.

"How'd you book that?" asked Mina.

"Well one of my clients owns the place, so he was more then happy to let me rent a VIP room. I got him a good divorce settlement," said Raye, shrugging. "Anyway, it starts at seven and I expect all of you to be there."

Serena was just about to open her mouth to object when her phone began to ring. "Serena, answer that and I'll kill you," said Raye.

"It's my job," said Serena staring at the phone longingly. The girls hated it when she answered her phone on their days out. Even Amy, the doctor, managed to clear a free day, why couldn't she? "Magazines don't edit themselves."

"You're not the editor!" said Mina.

"Well I should be!" said Serena, silencing her phone and stuffing it into the bottom of her purse. "There goes my promotion, happy now?

"Yes, so like I said, I expect everyone to be there tomorrow night. Even you, Serena," said Raye.

"I don't see why," said Serena off handedly. "He's not going to miss me, and I won't miss him."

"Yes he will," said Raye. "Almost every time we talk, he asks about you."

"I'm sure he's just trying to be nice."

"No, he _only_ asks about you, he doesn't care about the other girls," said Raye.

"This is making me want to go to the party less," said Amy.

"I heartily agree," said Serena. "I need a drink, where the hell is the waiter?"

"He's probably afraid to come over here," said Amy, looking pointedly at Lita.

"What?" asked their brunette friend.

Serena laughed. "Every time we get him, you stare at his ass the whole time! I'd be scared of you too," she said.

"I do not," said Lita, smiling sultrily. "It's not my fault that I appreciate his body." At her comment all of the girls laughed.

"We should have just gone to your restaurant, Lita," said Mina.

"I agree," said Serena approvingly.

"Thanks," said Lita proudly. "So will it just be us tomorrow night?"

"Yea, us and a few of Darien's old colleagues. Some of them I've never even met before," said Raye, digging into her black Prada bag and pulling out a wide sheet of paper. "Let's see, there's us, Molly, Melvin, Andrew, Greg and some people Darien went to Azabu with."

"Sounds like there will be a lot of people there," said Amy.

"Yea maybe about twenty."

"That's great," said Serena. "I already feel the migraine coming on. But look at it this way, at least Amy gets to see Greg!"

"Shut up," said Amy, picking up a bread roll and tossing it at Serena.

"Real mature, Ames!"

"You started it Serena," she said, playfully.

"Okay but seriously, where's the damned waiter?" cried Lita pounding her fist onto the table just as a cute, yet frightened looking young man made his way towards them.

I

I

It had been a muggy Sunday afternoon, the day of Darien's imminent return and Serena found herself pouting on the balcony of her apartment. Yesterday had been eventful enough as Raye forcefully coerced her into buying a cocktail dress to wear to tonight's soiree, matching heels and a handbag. It wasn't the money that she spent that was bugging her. It was the fact that she was buying something for someone she utterly detested and she was beginning to despise her friends over it. Sure, they didn't know why she hated Darien so much and maybe it was her fault for not telling the real reason of why she loathed him. Regardless of her reasoning, the last place Serena wanted to be was in the same city with Darien Chiba, let alone the same room. It had been seven years since they last spoke, but the lapse of time wasn't enough.

She looked at the time and realized that she only had thee hours until the party. The hours had dragged along dreadfully slowly, and even though she was absolutely dreading going to the party, she wished time would speed up. The only thing on her mind was getting the festivities over with so that she wouldn't have to worry about playing nice with Darien. Serena hoped that she would never have to see him again, even if they did end up living in close proximity to each other. Relinquishing to have the best attitude she possibly could, Serena began to head for her bedroom when her doorbell rang. Surprised, she walked to the door, opened it and was utterly shocked by what she saw.

From behind a bouquet of a dozen white roses stood an utterly handsome man, his dark hair glistening under the bright lights of the hallway, his smile blazing. "I come in peace," he said, handing her the flowers and resting his hands in his pockets.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, admiring the flowers despite herself.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior," he said smoothly. "Can I come in?"

Knowing that this was possibly a bad idea, she gestured for him to come inside. "Make yourself at home," she said, passing him and walking into the kitchen to place the flowers in a vase. "I would imagine that you'd be in Los Angeles by now."

"Change of plans," he said, sitting on the plush tan colored couch and leaning back to face her.

"What happened? Your multi million dollar business deal fall through?" she asked, trying to keep the sound of hopefulness from her voice. It would serve him right if it did.

He laughed at her tone. "No, but I figured it could wait," he said. "Put the flowers away and come here. If they die I'll buy you new ones. I am rich after all."

"A fact that you reminded me of daily," said Serena, throwing the roses into the sink before staring at her counterpart sullenly. "Why are you here?"

"I didn't want to leave things as they were," he said, getting up and walking toward her, his expensive Versace suit hugging him in all the right places.

"How noble of you," she said, staring at him coldly.

"I know," he said jokingly. "I still have to go to Los Angeles, just…not now. I want to spend time with you."

"You can't just prance back in here and expect things to be the way they were, life doesn't work like that," she said.

"I know, let me make it up to you," he said, digging into his pocket and pulling out a long black rectangular box. Serena rolled her eyes. If she could measure his love for her in jewelry, _she _would be a billionaire.

"I don't need anymore necklaces or bracelets," she said, huffing.

"I know that," he said, smiling broadly. "Open it."

She snatched the box from his hand and threw him one last nasty look before opening it. At least ten pairs of keys fell onto the hardwood floor beneath her with several annoyingly loud clangs.

"What's this?"

"Key's to every property I own," he said, reaching out and brushing her hair from her face. "You said I have too many secrets, that I don't take you seriously as an equal, well here you go. These keys are master keys, they open every door, and every closet to every house I have all around the world. I have nothing to hide from you Serena."

If this had come from anyone else, then Serena would have found it sincere, genuine and maybe a little sweet, but from Seiya Takagawa, the playboy billionaire that she had been dating for the past three years, she found it insulting and dishonest.

"Thanks, that's great," she said dryly, putting the box down on a nearby table. He smiled at her nonchalant attitude. He knew her better than she thought. Sure he could be calculating and insolent at times, but he did truly care for her.

"Take it as you like Serena, but the fact remains that I love you, and I know deep down inside you love me too."

"Seiya I really don't have time for this," she said abruptly. It was almost five, which left her a little over an hour to get dressed. With Seiya's visit and his rediscovered love for her, she found herself looking forward to tonight's events. At least it would be a distraction from him.

"Pressing engagement?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow.

"A friend of a friend is coming to town and there's a party for him tonight."

"Where?" he asked.

"At Oasis."

"Very swanky," said Seiya. "I'm surprised at you; you hate that kind of stuff. When I invited you there, you made a big deal about places like that and now you're going for a stranger."

"It wasn't my idea," she said irritated. "If it were up to me, we'd have given him a barbecue, but Raye did all this. She's into that kind of stuff."

"Unlike you, my darling who likes to walk around in tank tops and pajamas and eat ice cream in bed. Imagine that, and I still love you."

"Should I be insulted?" she asked, her hands on her hips.

He smiled before encircling his arms around her waist. "Of course not, darling, its one of the quirky qualities that I love about you." Slowly he lowered his head and brought his lips to hers, his mouth teasing her's slightly. When she responded hesitantly, he took the opportunity to latch onto her mouth, offering her a number of searing kisses before letting go.

"Of course I imagine that I should escort you there, Serena," he said.

"How do you know that I don't have a date?"

"You don't, I'd know."

Serena growled. "Stop having your people watching me!" she said. "I'm not a child."

"It's for your protection, love. I have a lot of enemies," said Seiya.

"What could anyone possibly have against you?" asked Serena scathingly.

"So I take it that your answer is yes," he said.

"Do I have a choice?" asked Serena, knowing the answer.

"No."

"I didn't think so."


	2. Chapter 1: Part 2

Of Faux and Friends

Chapter One: Part 2

A/N: It wouldn't let me upload the whole thing. But this is still Chapter One.

Disclaimer: I don't own SM.

Rating: M

I

I

Between Seiya trying to seduce her and the two of them arguing, they had arrived fashionably late in front of Oasis in one of Seiya's many limousines.

"You look nervous, dear," he said, grabbing her hand and helping her climb out of the vehicle.

"No I'm fine," she lied, rolling her eyes and turning to check the back of the black dress she was wearing.

"Did I mention that you look absolutely gorgeous?" asked Seiya, kissing her hand before intertwining his fingers with hers and ushering her into the posh club entrance.

"Not in the last five minutes," she replied sweetly, admiring how nice Seiya looked when he didn't talk. Maybe that's why she stayed with him for so long.

"Darling, are you sure you're alright? You look pale."

"No, I'm okay," said Serena. But really she wasn't okay. With Seiya getting dressed with her, she wasn't able to figure out what exactly she should say to Darien and with Seiya coming as her date, she knew she would get hell from the girls for getting back together with him. Needless to say, he wasn't one of their favorite people.

"We're a part of Raye Hino's party," she said to the greeter, a tall red headed woman who was eyeing Seiya longingly.

"Down the hall and to the right," she said to him, as he tightened his grip on Serena.

"Do you need an escort, sir?" she asked sultrily.

He grinned and Serena rolled her eyes. "No, I think we'll be quite fine. Thank you, miss."

"Rachel, my name's Rachel," she said, tucking her hair behind her ears.

Seiya made no response, but smiled gently before he and Serena rushed off. "Do women always fall all over themselves in front of you?" asked Serena.

"Of course they do," he said, kissing her cheek. "But you don't have to worry, I'm all yours."

"Lucky me," she said dryly.

As soon as they reached the doors, Serena hesitated to step inside. Surprisingly she was comforted that Seiya was with her. As pompous and arrogant as he could be, one complaint from her and he would end up bending over backwards to please her. With one sigh he would rush her out of there. She tried to convince herself that everything would be okay. They'd stay for a couple of hours and the whole time she'd gaze longingly at her boyfriend and completely ignore the fact that Darien would be sitting somewhere across the way from her. All vestiges of her plan collapsed as soon as the double doors swung open, wide and gracefully.

"Let's see," began Darien, smiling at his audience, "I think the worst thing I've ever seen was when I was a resident working in the ER. This guy had a gunshot wound on his leg and he had let it fester for a little over a month because the shooting was gang related. Anyway by the time he came in, it was green, rotting and there were maggots actually under the dead skin."

"Oh my god," said Amy fascinated. "Did you have to amputate?"

"Unfortunately yes," said Darien. "He was very upset."

"I can imagine," said Raye, smiling as she sipped her cocktail. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Serena and Seiya were standing around, both of them looking very annoyed that no one had noticed they had entered. Taking it upon himself to focus their attention, Seiya cleared his throat loudly. Every inhabitant, including Darien turned to focus on the rooms newest guests. If Darien had been holding a drink he would have dropped it.

He hadn't seen Serena in ages, and the last time he had seen her, she was a blossoming eighteen year old girl. But now, she was a beautiful, voluptuous woman. She was standing before them, in a knee length, skin tight black dress, with straps that wrapped around her neck, elevating her ample cleavage. Her legs were long and lean. Her face was mature and sharp, with full lips, big blue eyes and rosy cheeks. Her hair, shorter than he remembered, cascaded around her face and down her back in gentle waves. For the first time in a long time, Darien was absolutely speechless.

"Seiya what are you doing here?" asked Raye furiously, breaking the silence that had descended over the room.

He smiled rudely at her before answering. "What does it look like Raye, I'm here with my girlfriend," said Seiya. The news that Serena was taken immediately broke Darien from his trance. Raye was too busy being irritated that Serena was back with Seiya to notice that Darien and Serena hadn't stopped staring at each other since she walked in.

Serena was shocked by how much he had changed. It was no secret that Darien was gorgeous before but now he owned a sophisticated and refined disposition that was present in the way that he sat, the way he moved, even the way he smiled. He was glamorous yet humble enough in his appearance to make him seem approachable. He was handsome yet boyishly adorable, intelligent but conversable. He was more beautiful than she remembered and his eyes….still dark with untold secrets and possibly pain, were just as perfect as she remembered, maybe even more so.

"Seiya, Serena, why don't you sit down," said Amy as she and Serena exchanged glances. Seiya pulled out her chair before taking a seat next to her and possessively putting a hand on her bare thigh. Raye and Lita rolled their eyes.

"Sorry we're late," said Serena, her voice strong despite the feelings of nausea that were soon becoming overwhelming.

"Don't worry about it," said Mina.

"Serena, Darien was just telling us about his experiences as a doctor in New York," said Mina.

"Oh really," said Serena her eyes meeting Darien's. "I'm sure you and Amy have a lot to talk about."

"We all have a lot of catching up to do," he said looking meaningfully at Serena. "How've you been?"

"I'm okay," she said, smiling softly. Seiya was about to open his mouth to brag about his girlfriend before his cell phone began to vibrate in the side pocket of his suit coat.

"Excuse me," he said, pulling out the gadget and walking out of the room.

"So," began Darien, never taking his eyes of Serena, "what have you been doing these past few years?"

"Oh, not much," said Serena smiling gently at him. She was just about to summon a waiter over when her cell phone began to ring.

"Don't answer it!" cried Raye, as Serena reached for her phone. "One weekend is all I ask. They'll survive without you!"

"Fine, fine!" said Serena, flipping her hair from her face. Her one possible escape from Darien's unwavering gaze and Raye had to shut her down.

"Sorry about that," said Raye, "but Serena is a workaholic."

"No, I'm not," said Serena, glaring at Raye.

"Cut her some slack," said Mina, smiling at Serena. "She's a busy woman."

"Serena what do you do?" asked Darien, intrigued.

"Oh I just work for a magazine," she said vaguely.

"Are you kidding me," said Seiya strutting confidently back into the room, before sitting down next to Serena. "She's the fashion director of Vogue magazine, not to mention she has her own line of evening gowns called Koi. She's one of the top designers in Japan if not the eastern hemisphere."

"Seiya," she said, in an attempt to stop him.

"She's utterly successful," he said proudly as Raye glared at him. "What?"

"Are you done bragging?" she asked spitefully. Serena rolled her eyes.

"I'm not bragging," he said nonchalantly. "Is it wrong for me to be proud of my beautiful, successful girlfriend?"

Raye opened her mouth to make a scathing remark, just as Serena intervened. "Where's the waiter?" asked Serena, "I need a drink." Looking behind him, Seiya signaled for someone to come and take their order.

"Milady?" asked the waiter, a young blonde man.

"Can I have Martini, dry," she said. "Actually, make that a double."

"That's way too strong for you," said Seiya knowingly. "Do you remember what happened the last time you had one of those? She'll have a Cosmopolitan." Raye raised her hand, which Lita grabbed thinking that she was about to slap Seiya. Serena remained stoic. "And I'll have a glass of Merlot."

Darien couldn't help to notice how much Serena had changed. When had the outgoing, loud girl he used to know turn into a demure, quiet blonde?

"Serena," asked Darien, his eyes on her again, "would you dance with me?"

"No," she said abruptly. She had gotten over the initial shock of how good looking he had become and her hatred for him had returned, full force.

"Oh come on, darling, dance with him and show him what he can't have," said Seiya. If to only get away from her boyfriend, Serena nodded her head in approval and Darien approached her gracefully. He reached her chair and pulled it out for her, before taking her hand in his and leading her to the dance floor.

Lita and Mina watched as their two friends left. "You know, I just noticed how much Seiya and Darien look alike," said Mina, studying Seiya's profile as he sipped his drink. "They could almost be twins."

Serena stiffened as Darien wrapped his arms around her, the two of them swaying to the music. "He's a real piece of work," said Darien.

"Seiya?" asked Serena, knowing the answer. "Yea he is. Sometimes he can be arrogant and other times he can be a completely different person. He's just-"

"No I don't think he is."

"What?"

"You were going to say he was a different person when you guys are alone?" he asked his fingers brushing against her bare back, causing her to tremble.

"No I wasn't actually. I was going to say that's he's spoiled."

Darien chuckled. "I see," he said. "I'm glad you came tonight. I didn't think you'd show up, considering…"

"Trust me, I didn't want to. But Raye can be persuasive…and scary."

Again he laughed. "You're more beautiful than I remember," he said, his fingers drawing invisibles circles across her back. She began to shiver.

"Don't do that."

"Why not?" he whispered, his lips close to her ear. "I missed you."

"Darien why are you here? Back in Tokyo? When you left…"

"Leaving was a mistake. I know that now. I'm home for good," said Darien, caressing her cheek with his thumb.

"Stop that," she whispered, trying to get away from his grip. "Let me go."

"Why?"

"You're making me uncomfortable," she said.

"Am I?" he asked darkly. Quickly he released her. "I'm sorry." His eyes were sincere.

"I don't plan on seeing you after this Darien," she said, as they stood staring at each other in the middle of the empty dance floor.

"Serena, I'm sorry that-"

"Don't," she said.

"You never answered my letters, my emails…the only reason I knew that you were still alive was through Raye."

"Is that the reason why you guys are all of a sudden best friends?"

"She was worried about me!" said Darien. "She's like family to me."

"That's great Darien," she said, turning to walk away. "I knew this was a bad idea."

"Coming here?" he asked, grabbing her arm and turning her around to face him.

"Yes," she said. "Seeing you after all this time. I shouldn't have…"

"But you did," he said. "You came here for the same reason I did.

"Yea and why is that?"

"Because I love you, I never stopped loving you, and I came back to Japan to tell you that," he said sincerely. His arms tightened around her waist and he pulled her into him so tightly that he breasts were being crushed painfully against his chest. Serena glanced behind her to find that Seiya was engrossed in a heated argument with Raye and the other guests seemed to be too concerned with what they were arguing about to pay any attention to what was brewing between her and Darien.

"No," she said, pushing herself away from him. "You left me! You left for seven years…after we…after….you can't just come back and say you love me and expect me to just forgive you. I won't Darien."

"That doesn't change the fact that I love you, Serena," he said, his voice solemn. The fight behind her was getting louder and Darien's words were driving her crazy; she needed to get out of there. Quickly she turned away from Darien and rushed toward Seiya.

"I want to go!" she said loudly, interrupting the battle between Seiya and Raye.

Quickly he glanced up at her and could tell she was either angry or very upset. "Okay," he said, grabbing his coat and standing up. Meanwhile Darien had managed to sneak up behind them. She felt something slip into her hand before her and Seiya exited the room without any goodbyes to the on looking spectators.

"What happened?" he asked, worriedly.

"I don't feel well," she said honestly. Her conversation with Darien has made her feel extremely ill. As soon as they exited the club, Serena found herself vomiting into one of the trashcans. Seiya held her hair and rubbed her back gently before scooping her into his arms and carrying her into the limo.

"Close your eyes, my love," said Seiya. "We'll be home soon."

Seiya quickly returned to making calls on his cell phone while periodically checking on Serena. In her hand she felt the small piece of paper that Darien had handed to her before they left. Checking to make sure that Seiya was otherwise occupied, Serena unfolded the crumbled piece of paper before staring at what it said. The script, written neatly in black ink, made her heart drop into her chest. She would never forget seeing those words. Not for the rest of her life.

_I'm coming for you._


	3. Chapter 2

Of Faux and Friends

Chapter 2

A/N: I know it's been a while. Applying for grad school has been keeping me busy. But I'll try and update more regularly. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own SM.

Rating: M

I

I

"Last night was a disaster," said Serena as she sipped her Peach Passion Iced Tea.

"It wouldn't have been if you hadn't brought Seiya with you," said Raye, fork in hand.

Serena sighed. "Raye he just showed up at my apartment. He caught me off guard," she said, tossing her blonde ponytail over her shoulder and stabbing the cherry tomato that was lying around idly in her empty salad bowl.

"That's no excuse, Serena! You shouldn't have invited him to Darien's welcome home party. He doesn't even know Seiya!" cried Raye.

"Well he does now," Serena mumbled, dropping her fork loudly and staring somberly at Raye. "I didn't even want to go to Darien's stupid party and I wouldn't have been there if _you _didn't threaten me into going!"

"Serena you're such a brat!" cried Raye.

"Calm down you two," said Amy, "you're making a scene."

"He doesn't have any family Serena, you know that! I was trying to make him feel special when he came back to Tokyo. And you ruined it!"

"She didn't ruin it," said Mina to Raye. "You didn't ruin it Serena."

"Darien didn't say much of anything after you and that asshole of a boyfriend stormed out!" Raye yelled.

Serena rolled her eyes. "Then you shouldn't have invited me! You know that I don't like Darien and you made me go anyway. I didn't go for Darien, Raye, I went for you. Because you planned it and now you're pissed at me because it didn't turn out the way you wanted it to!"

"Why _do _you hate Darien so much, Serena?" asked Lita, twirling her brown chest length hair between her manicured fingers.

"I just…do," Serena replied stubbornly.

"Just before he left you guys seemed to be getting along fine. Come to think of it, I rarely saw you guys fight," said Amy, leaning back in her chair.

"Just because you didn't see it doesn't mean it didn't happen," Serena lied. Her friend's observations were true. She and Darien had gotten along better before he left. A lot better.

"You don't go from ready to rip each other's throats out to being borderline best friends all of a sudden," said Mina. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened," cried Serena. "Can we please talk about something other than Darien?"

"He made me invite you especially, you know," said Raye, her voice quiet. "He asked me every time I talked to him if you were coming. Why would he do that Serena, if he didn't care about you?"

"I don't know Raye," Serena replied.

"Give him a chance," said Raye. "Sure he was a jerk to you when you were younger, I'll admit that, but he's had a hard life Serena."

"Yea, being a billionaire and traveling around to god knows where for seven years is _real _hard," said Serena grimly.

"God, Serena, he wouldn't be a billionaire if his parents hadn't died! Where the hell do you think he got all that money? He grew up in an orphanage until he could take care of himself, you knew that!" cried Raye, standing up abruptly and almost knocking over Mina's glass of water.

"Raye, sit down," said Lita, as Mina grabbed the glass. "Where are you going?"

"I can't sit hear and listen to Serena bitch about Darien," said Raye, pulling a wad of cash out of her purse and slamming it on the table.

"Raye," whined Serena, "look I'm sorry okay-"

"Don't apologize to me, Serena, apologize to him," said Raye as she grabbed her coat and stormed out of the café.

Serena huffed loudly before leaning over and pinching the bridge of her nose. "She's so in love with him," said Mina, starry-eyed. All the girls turned to eye her strangely. "What? Did you see the way she jumped to his defense? I feel a matchmaking spell coming over me, guys."

Lita chuckled. "Maybe you'd better not interfere. Besides, I think Raye thinks of Darien as more of a brother than anything. Why do you think she's so protective of him?"

"Or perhaps she identifies with him," said Amy.

"Enlighten us, doctor," said Lita, as she Serena and Mina looked to Amy for advice.

"Well they both lacked parents when they were children, didn't they? I mean Raye had her grandfather, but he was rarely around for her. Maybe that's why they dated in the first place. Raye and Darien are awfully alike. Their social skills aren't exactly the best and they like to spend most of their time alone."

"Am I wrong here?" asked Serena, ignoring Amy's comment. "I didn't mean for Seiya to come. You know how he is, and besides I feel…uncomfortable…around Darien and Seiya being there kind of helped."

"Raye's just overreacting," said Lita. "It's not like you were mean to Darien, you did dance with him after all."

"Which makes me wonder why you stormed out after you and Darien danced together?"

"Did he do something to you?" asked Lita angrily, slamming her fist onto the table. Serena smiled, even after all these years Lita was still protective of her.

"No, he didn't. I just felt sick is all," said Serena.

"Are you the blonde that puked outside?" asked Mina.

"Why?"

"I heard the staff talking about some blonde who vomited in one of the trash bins," said Mina.

Lita gasped. "That asshole Seiya didn't get you pregnant did he?"

Serena choked. "No! No! That's impossible."

"Nothing's impossible," said Amy.

"Trust me, _that is_."

I

I

Serena threw her purse down as she stormed into her dimly apartment. It had been a terribly long day. After the fiasco at lunch, Serena had tried to call Raye and make amends, but it seemed as though Raye was screening her calls today. After leaving seven messages on her answering machine, Serena called it quits for the day.

With ease she pulled off her black Dolce and Gabbana pumps and tossed them onto the barstool before walking sluggishly into her bedroom.

"Rough day?" asked a sultry deep voice from behind her.

Serena shrieked loudly before lunging for the pepper spray atop her bedroom drawer and aiming it at the stranger.

Slowly he flicked the light on and stared at her appearance. "Whoa there, honey, point that thing somewhere else," said Seiya, grabbing the black bottle of mace from her hand and setting it down on an empty table. "Happy to see me?"

"Not really," said Serena, swatting him on his arm before walking into her bedroom. "How'd you get in here?"

"You gave me a key," said Seiya, unbuttoning his black suit coat and laying it on an empty chair.

"Remind me to get the locks changed," said Serena.

Seiya chuckled. "Rough day?"

"Not really, why?"

"You look irritated."

Serena sighed. The bastard did know her well. "Raye and I had a fight, one of my dresses ripped and I had to fire someone that was trying to extort money from me. Other than that, it was just perfect."

"Well it's a good thing you caught the culprit, I'm sure you'll be able to repair the dress and you and Raye fighting doesn't come as much of a shock to me. She mad that you invited me to the party?"

Serena laughed as she stepped into her closet and pulled of the grey pencil skirt she was wearing. "That's an understatement. She's pissed," said Serena, walking out of the closet with a silk robe wrapped her otherwise naked body. "According to her I'm a brat, a bitch, and insensitive."

"I could say the same thing about her," said Seiya, walking to Serena and tucking a loose blonde curl behind her ear.

"So could I," said Serena, smiling gently at him and walking into the kitchen. "I didn't even want to go to that stupid party. Want some tea?"

"Sure," he said, sitting on an empty bar stool and reclining. "So then why did you?"

"Because Raye nagged me to death about it."

"Is that the only reason?" asked Seiya, narrowing his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Serena, filling the kettle and placing it on the stove.

"You seemed very…comfortable with Dr. Chiba," said Seiya.

"Excuse me."

"You think I didn't notice his proximity to you when you danced with him?"

"I didn't know you cared."

"When are you going to give in to me?"

"What?" asked Serena, reaching for her bag of tea leaves in the pantry. Before she turned around Seiya was behind her, his hands on her waist.

"When are you going to say yes to me?"

"How many times do I have to say no to you?" she replied.

He sighed. "Do you know how many other women would give their lives to marry me?"

"It's because they only see you're pretty face. If they knew you like I do, they'd be running the other direction just like I am."

"Touché, love. I'm tired of asking you, Serena," said Seiya. "Marry me, be my wife. I could give you everything you've ever wanted and more. You could be a queen."

"Promises, Seiya."

"Promises I intend to keep."

Serena chuckled. "You promised me your fidelity and so far you haven't delivered."

"I wouldn't have been unfaithful if you had-"

"Don't blame that on me," said Serena angrily. "I think you should go. For good this time."

"You don't mean that. I can see it in your eyes. You want me here."

"No, Seiya, I want _somebody_ here. I'm tired of being alone."

"You don't have to be, Serena."

"Please leave."

"If I go this time, I won't come back."

"That's what you said last time."

"I mean it."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I don't know," said Serena. "Just go, Seiya."

"Fine," he said, defeated. Avoiding a dramatic goodbye, Seiya grabbed his coat and exited, closing the door behind him with a gentle click.

Serena sighed before reaching for the stove and turning off the gas. With slow movements she emptied the kettle, returned the tea leaves to the cupboard and walked into her bedroom. Sluggishly she removed the robe, the jewelry, the makeup and crawled lazily into her queen sized bed that she shared with no one. She missed him and he had only been gone for five minutes. She was so lonely and so sad and the one person that she wanted…left her so many years ago. She closed her eyes tightly; it was the only way she knew how to keep the tears away.

I

I

It had been three days since the party and Serena was so busy with work that she didn't have time to pay attention to the fact that Seiya hadn't called her and that Raye was still furious with her. The only task that she was worried about was hiring a new assistant. She had been interviewing imbeciles for the last six hours and she hadn't found anyone that seemed suitable to work for her. Almost on cue, her phone rang and Serena was sure that it was her secretary telling her that it was one more person for her to see before she left for the day.

"Send them in," said Serena.

"But Miss Tsukino-"

"Tara, please just send them in, I'm tired and I'm desperate. I don't care who it is."

"Yes, Miss Tsukino."

Quietly she waited until she heard the doors open as she mentally went over the familiar spiel she gave to hopeful applicants.

As soon as she heard the door close she began her speech. "Welcome to Vogue Magazine, the number one fashion magazine in the world," she said bored, "please take a seat and…" Her voice trailed off when she realized who she was talking to. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Hi Serena," said Darien's gentle voice. He was wearing his doctor's smock, a pale blue shirt and black pants. In his hands sat a bouquet of white lilies, Serena's favorite flowers.

"What are you doing here?" she asked again, her voice weakening.

"I came to see you," said Darien. "We should talk."

"We don't have anything to talk about. Besides I'm really busy."

"These are for you," said Darien, handing the bouquet to her and smiling gently. He looked nervous.

"Thanks," she said wearily, accepting the flowers and looking at them appreciatively.

"I'm sorry about Raye," he said, sitting down in the leather chair across of her.

"What are you talking about?"

"I think she thinks she's my lawyer."

Serena chuckled. "Looks that way." For minutes they sat in silence, Darien staring at Serena as she stared at her empty desk.

"I missed you," said Darien.

Serena scoffed. "For seven years?"

"Yes," he said honestly. "I made a mistake Serena."

"For _seven _years? Getting drunk and sleeping with someone you don't know is a mistake. Running over a dog in your car is a mistake. Leaving the country for seven years isn't a mistake Darien. It's a decision."

Darien sighed. "I know, I messed up Serena. But I'm back now, doesn't that count for something?"

"No," she said quietly. "What do you want from me? To run into your arms and tell you that everything is going to be okay? To pick up from where we left off?"

Darien remained quiet. "You left me! You left me and you didn't even say goodbye! I wouldn't have known that you left if it wasn't for Raye! How could you do that to me? I loved you!"

"I was scared!"

"You were scared?" cried Serena, her eyes glistening with tears. "Of what? Of me?"

"No! Of losing you!" he said staring at her longingly. "The way I lost everyone else."

"So you just leave the country without a goodbye?" asked Serena, tears pouring from her eyes.

"I was young and stupid and I didn't realize the mistake that I was making until I left," he said, standing from his seat and rushing toward her. He grabbed her by the waist and crushed his lips to hers. Her knees went weak as their mouths wrestled against one another. Her hands got lost in his hair as he held her tightly in his arms.

"Stop it!" she cried, regaining her composure and distancing herself from him. "Get out."

"What?" he said, his eyes shining.

"GET OUT!" said Serena. "I hate you."

"You don't mean that," said Darien, looking broken,

"Yes, I do, now leave."

"Serena-"

"Get out now or I'm calling security," she said her eyes downcast.

"Okay, okay," said Darien. "I love you Serena, I've never stopped loving you, and if it takes the rest of my life, I'm going to prove it to you."

Quickly he swept out of the room and as soon as the door closed behind him, her legs gave way and she gave into the pain and dissolved into a puddle of despair.


	4. Chapter 3

Of Faux and Friends

Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, so I'm trying to update all of my stories. Is anyone still interested in this, please let me know. Also, I want to apologize for lack of updates. For those of you who didn't know, I'm applying to graduate school and it's a major pain in the ass and I've been so busy. But I'm going to try really hard to update all my stories. I'm currently writing four, so I'll try and update one story a week.

Disclaimer: I don't own SM.

Rating: M (language, violence, and sexual situations)

I

I

Serena rushed around another corridor, the white pristine floors of the hospital shining under the bright lights glistening from the high ceiling. She went around another corner checking her watch and noting that she had a few minutes to pick up her medicine and get back to the office for her one o'clock appointment. Quickly she rushed over to the pharmacy, her heart beating rapidly from the hasty pace she moved at. Minutes passed as she continued to watch the clock and she felt herself growing impatient. How long could it possibly take to pour some damn pills into a bottle? She checked her watch one last time before the pharmacist's assistant called her number and she approached the desk.

"How can I help you, miss?" asked the plump older woman to Serena.

"I need to pick up a prescription for Ken Tsukino," she said breathlessly, tapping the tips of her Manolo Blahnik's against the counter wall.

"Are you related to him?"

"Yes," Serena growled. "I'm his daughter."

"Can I see some identification?"

Serena sighed before digging around her purse for her wallet. If she didn't hurry and get out of this hospital then she might run into Darien and she really didn't want to see him. She had been able to avoid him for the last two weeks and wanted to keep it that way.

"Here," said Serena as she shoved her driver's license at the portly woman. Painstakingly, the woman scrutinized the card and Serena watched solemnly as the woman's eyes darted from the ID to her. "This doesn't look like you," said the woman.

"It's me," said Serena. "It's from a long time ago."

"How long ago?"

"I don't know. When I was nineteen," said Serena, clicking her tongue against the side of her cheek. "Look that's me, I'm his daughter and all I want to do is pick up my father's medicine so I can get back to work."

"It's against the law to impersonate someone, young lady. And this certainly does not look like you in this picture. Who are you really?"

Serena groaned loudly. "That's me! My name is Serena Tsukino," she yelled, the woman stepping back from the counter as Serena continued to rant. "Look, you want to see all my credit cards? They all say the same thing."

"That won't be necessary," growled a familiar voice from behind her. Serena froze in her tracks realizing who it was. Her worst nightmare had come true. "Give her the prescription, Alice."

"Okay, Dr. Chiba," said the woman blushing profusely as she dashed to the back of the pharmacy.

"I suppose I should thank you," said Serena, turning to face Darien. He was wearing a white collared shirt, a black tie and black pants. He eyes sparkled behind the glasses he was wearing before he quickly took them off.

"Alice is practically blind in both eyes," said Darien, smiling at Serena. "What brings you here?"

"I'm just picking up some medication." Serena noticed that an expression of worry quickly etched itself across Darien's face.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Serena looked puzzled. "Oh yea, I'm fine, it's just for my dad."

Darien smiled fondly. "How is he?"

"He's good. He's just got Irritable Bowel Syndrome. My mom says it makes him crabby," said Serena, smiling at Darien.

"Well constant constipation can do that to someone," said Darien scratching the back of his head. "Are you hungry?"

"What?" asked Serena, her head tilting to see if Alice had returned with her father's prescription. "Uh, yeah, I didn't really get the chance to grab any lunch. My dad called me asked for a favor and I couldn't really say no."

"Go to lunch with me," said Darien. Serena grimaced. All she wanted to do was get her father's medicine and as fate would have it, she had to run into _him_. And if that weren't enough, he had summoned up the nerve to ask her to lunch with him.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Besides I have to be back at work soon, I'm probably already going to be late."

Darien frowned. "How about tomorrow then?"

"Look-"

"Serena lunch isn't going to kill you. I won't bring you flowers, I won't touch you, I'm just going to feed you. And considering that you used to be a bottomless pit, I'd be surprised if you said no."

"Insulting me does not make we want to go out with you," said Serena folding her arms as Alice returned with a stack of pills.

"What's all this?" asked Serena as Alice placed at least five prescriptions on the counter.

"Well, this is Pepcid for heartburn, some Reglan to regulate his colon, some anti-fungal foot cream and powder for the athlete's foot and some Viagra for…well you know."

"Gross," Serena muttered to herself as Darien chuckled behind her.

"When Ken comes he usually gets some personal lubricant. Want me to throw that in with the rest?" asked Alice, her lips twitching.

"No," Serena muttered as Darien chuckled lightly beside her. He watched the blonde snatch the prescriptions and place them into the big black purse at her side. She turned on her heel and began to storm past Darien when he caught her by the arm and pulled her to him.

Her nose brushed against his chest and she looked up at him, his blue eyes shining with mirth. "Go out with me," said Darien.

"I said no," Serena replied. "Let go of me."

Darien loosened his grip, but did not release her arm. Instead he let his fingers inch downward, touching the soft bare skin of her arm until his fingertips reached the palm of her hand. With slow movements he brought his lips to her hand and kissed each finger gently. "It wasn't a question, Serena."

"Excuse me," she said, her voice trembling as he repeated his motions on her other hand.

"I'm tired of asking you," he said. "I know where you work. I'll be there tomorrow at twelve. Be ready." Quickly he released her hand before turning and walking down a corridor to the Oncology ward in the hospital.

Serena stood breathless and watched him as he walked away, his proud movements angering her. Who does he think he is? He can't just order her around like she was some child. The blonde trudged off toward the parking lot, thoughts of the raven haired man clouding her movements. She was pissed and embarrassed at his actions, but despite her dismay, something was tingling in the pit of her abdomen. With grim realization, she realized that it was excitement.

I

I

She tapped her painted fingernails against her desk, watching the gold rimmed clock on the white walls in her office. It was 11:57 and there had been no word from Darien. She had spent most of last night and this morning finding what to wear, and after realizing that she had too much clothing, opted for a strapless black dress that came to her knees, a red leather belt that she would wear around her waist, and red Steve Madden open toed pumps.

Combing her fingers through her hair she sighed. Why was she so nervous that he might not show up? It _would_ be like him to go back on his word, to leave her waiting for him. It wasn't like he hadn't done it before. Feeling herself seething with anger, she leaned against the plush leather chair and closed her eyes, a faint sense of agitation consuming all the anxiety that she had previously felt. There was a knock on her door and her eyes immediately shot open as a tall, dark haired man entered the room, a dashing bouquet of wild flowers in his hand. She smirked.

"I thought you weren't going to bring me flowers," she said, getting up from behind the desk and walking towards Darien. He looked stunning in a black, pinstripe suit.

"I lied," he said, as she approached him and took the flowers from his hand. She smelled them and smiled before setting the bouquet on her desk. "You look beautiful."

She stared at him, the smirk still on her face and her cheeks bright with excitement. "Thank you," she said gently, walking back to him. "You look very nice, too."

"Where would you like to go?" he asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets and staring at her face. She was so beautiful; he was such a fool to let her go. He only prayed she would give him one more chance and that if she did, he would love her for the rest of his life.

"I don't know. We don't have to go anywhere special. We could get burgers if you like."

Darien laughed lightly. "You want me to take you to a burger joint in what you're wearing?" he asked. "You're too lovely to be sitting in McDonald's Serena."

"I like McDonald's," she said, rubbing her stomach. "All through college Mina and I ate double cheeseburgers because they were cheap and we were broke."

"Nonetheless, I'd much rather take you somewhere nice. My groveling has to start somewhere."

She raised an eyebrow. "Groveling?"

"Of course," he said, running his fingers delicately over the top of a chair, "this is all an elaborate plan that I concocted to win your heart back."

Serena frowned. "I thought it was just lunch. I take it you lied to me again?"

"Bingo."

"Why should I trust you, then?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"Because I adore you, and I'm lying to you for all of the right reasons." He walked toward her slowly, his hands reaching out and caressing her cheeks. "Your skin is so soft."

"Don't," she whispered, turning her face away from him and backing up. He stopped immediately.

"Whatever you want," he said. She watched silently as he stared at her, her big blue eyes mirroring the sadness that he felt settle deep inside of him.

"I'm scared," she whispered, her eyes closing and her shoulders slumping.

"Why?" he asked, his brow furrowing.

"I…I don't know what to do. I hate you…and I love you. You have so much power over me Darien, and you know that. I know you do. You're going to hurt me again. I know you will."

Struggling to keep his distance, Darien's heart sank into his stomach. What he wouldn't give to scoop her in his arms and kiss her doubts away, to tell her that she was his life, to apologize for leaving her so many years ago and to make her his wife. "I…Serena you know that I regret leaving you. There aren't enough words to express how sorry I am. I love you, more than anything in this world. I've wasted so much time already. Don't push me away now."

Serena opened her eyes as silent tears streamed down her face, stopping at the curve of her lips and dripping onto the desk beneath her. Losing the battle against her wants, he quickly rushed to her and pulled her into his arms. Her body began to shake with sobs and he could feel her tears staining his shirt. His eyes burned and he closed them, the sound of a sniffle like the blast of a rifle against his ears. Her sadness was killing him. He had made her cry, the love of his life, the woman who melted the ice around his heart, and he had made her cry.

"It's okay," he said shakily. His mouth was dry and he licked his lips as she shook in his arms, her shoulders vibrating against his hands. "I'm so sorry." But the words meant nothing to her. All she could remember, all she could feel was her pain and all she could see were the tears that stung against her eyelids. She pushed herself away from him, and plopped down onto the cushy chair beside her. She wasn't weak anymore and she hated that Darien was watching her cry. She felt like a coward and a fool. She lowered her head into her hands and covered her face. She didn't want him to see her shame.

She felt him bend down before her and almost sighed when his hands cupped her face lifting it meet his. He moved his thumb to her eyes and quickly wiped away the stray tears that fell like leaves from her blue orbs. Leaning in, he felt his head touch hers and she sniffled against him. He shuddered when her fingers brushed against his chest and he wanted to kiss her so badly, to take her to his home and make love to her in his bed until the only tears that she shed were ones from ecstasy and utter bliss. Yet, now was not the time. He promised her that he would spend the rest of his life making this up to her, making her happy, making her his. He would never love another woman as much as he loved his meatball head.

"Serena," he said quietly as she looked into his eyes. She whimpered in response. "Please don't cry because of me. I'm not worth it."

Serena looked up at him somberly before she reached out and touched his face. "Yes you are."

Her honesty broke him and the tears that he had tried to hold back quickly fell. Serena caught them between her fingertips and watched as they dropped to the ground, absorb into the cracks in the wood and were forgotten. For moments he held her in his arms, his face buried in the crook of her neck until the sound of rumbling broke through the melancholic atmosphere.

"Darien?" asked Serena, the tone of her voice small and diffident.

"Yes?" he said looking into her eyes.

She smiled abashedly. "I'm hungry."

Quickly he stood up and reached out for her and without hesitation she placed her hand in his. "Let's go."


	5. Chapter 4

Of Faux and Friends

Chapter Four

A/N: Does anyone want to be my beta? I hate finding my mistakes in my stories. If you are, send a personal message by clicking on my pen name. Thanks.

A/N: Some of my readers make comments that I would like to respond to so here it goes:

**VcChick**: Yea she did cave early, but she's in love…things are going to get worse before they get better though.

**mojacko1984**: Who said he was faithful to Serena for seven years? Not to sound sexist or anything…but boys will be boys.

**venusgoddess**: applying to grad school is a bitch…but thanks for the advice

**Buni** **Of The Moon**: thanks. I prefer stories that don't have the girls as senshi. That fighting part of the series always bored me. And I do prefer stories where they are older because to me, someone who is 18 (or older depending on the manga or anime) should not be with 14 year old.

**Venus-the-Senshi-Of-Love**: Serena and the girls are about 25 and Darien, Andrew and Seiya are about 28/29. Another character that will be introduced shortly is around 26.

**cosmoscrystal9**6: of course there will be a lemon… I love reading lemons (I'm not a pervert) and writing them is pretty fun too.

If I didn't comment about your comment, I promise I'm reading all of them and I really appreciate every single review I get.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon

Rating: M (for language and some sexuality)

I

I

Serena giggled happily as she shoved another portion of chocolate cake into her mouth. Darien had taken her to Wonderland, a brand new restaurant on the upscale side of town. She enjoyed several of the menus dishes, including lobster, shrimp, a martini and a decadent slice of cake.

Darien smiled at her, relishing in the happiness that was shining behind her eyes. He would love to see her this giddy forever; the only thing he wanted to do was make her happy for the rest of her life. He watched as she devoured the last piece of cake before setting her fork down and looking up to her dinner partner.

"What?" she asked, her head cocking to the side as she looked up at him quizzically.

He grinned. "Nothing," he said. "You look eighteen again, that's all."

Serena frowned. At the age of eighteen he had left her... "Did I say something wrong?" he asked, noticing the sad expression on her face.

"No," she lied, looking away from him. She felt tears stinging at the edges of her eyes and immediately covered her face with her hands.

"Serena?" he asked concerned. "What wrong?"

"Why?" she asked, her voice dry. She moved her hand and he saw the clear liquid pooling her in eyes. Things tonight had been going so well between them. What on earth had he done to make her so upset?

"Why what?" he asked reaching out to touch her hand when she immediately recoiled away from him.

"Why _what_?" she asked, taking the cloth from her lap and throwing it onto the table. "Everything was perfect between us, at least I thought it was. I loved you, Darien, and I thought you loved me too."

"I did love you, Serena, more than anything in the world-"

"People who love each other don't just up and leave the continent without as much as a goodbye. You never, ever gave me a reason for leaving Darien. What did I do to you?"

He frowned. "Serena you didn't do anything-"

"I had to have done something to push you away."

"It wasn't you Serena, it was me, I swear."

"Wow Darien, that was original," she yelled, warm tears falling down her face. At her outburst several people in the restaurant turned around to see where the commotion was coming from. "I knew this was a bad idea." She immediately grabbed her purse before rising from the table and turning to leave.

"Don't walk away from me please," he said, his voice earnest as he jumped up behind her.

"You'd know what it feels like if I did," she said, as she stormed off in the direction of the exit.

Darien immediately pulled out his wallet and left two huge notes on the table before rushing to her. "Serena, please," he begged, catching up to her and grabbing her hand.

"What was so wrong Darien?" she asked her eyes full of wrath. "Was I not good?"

"Excuse me?" he said, taken aback from her proclamation.

"You heard me," she said, walking onto the curb and trying to hail a taxi. "Was the sex not good enough Darien?"

His eyes widened. "Why would you ask me that?"

"Oh, I don't know," she said, her voice escalating. "Because you told me you loved me and then you deflowered me and a week after that you leave."

"Serena I-"

"Come to think of it, maybe you told me you loved me just to get me in the sack. Is that all I was Darien, a roll in the hay for you? Some stupid teenage girl that you fucked and then afterwards just left the country because you were done with me?"

"That's not true Serena and you know it!" he yelled, anger consuming him. How could she think that she meant nothing to him?

"Do I?" she cried as another taxi passed her by. "God damn it! I'll just walk then."

"Serena come back here! I won't let you walk home."

"Get away from me!" she screamed. "I would rather be anywhere right now than be here with you."

"Please let me just explain," he yelled, walking up to her. She laughed in spite of the anger she was feeling.

"Fine," she said, stopping and turning to face him. "Go ahead Darien, tell me why you left me a few days after we made love. I'd sure like an explanation."

He opened his mouth before shutting it tightly. He hadn't actually expected her to hear him. Admittedly, he was a bit caught off guard. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" she asked, livid.

"I loved you."

"I know Darien," she said wryly, "but I wish you'd stop telling me that. What's your reason?"

"That is my reason," he said somberly, his eyes down cast.

Serena chuckled dryly before looking up to him. "You fled the country because you loved me," she said slowly. "That's brilliant Darien."

She turned to walk away when she felt long fingers wrap themselves around her delicate flesh. "I loved you…too much."

Again Serena smirked. "This is starting to sound like a Lifetime movie," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. She blinked as a cold droplet of water landed on her nose. Looking up to the sky they both realized that soon it was about to pour down. His first instinct was to find shelter, but he had waited so long to be with her, to tell her how he really felt.

"My parents died when I was six years old," he said grimly, staring at the cloudy sky. "When I woke up, I was alone, in a hospital bed with absolutely no memory of what happened to me or my family."

Serena watched him speak quietly as she slowly backed up into a brick wall and leaned on it for support. She had never heard Darien speak of his family. "A few weeks after that, I was shipped to some orphanage in Tokyo. I still didn't remember my family. The doctor said that the event was so traumatic that I repressed it and that I might never get my memories back. About a month later, one of uncles found me and took me to live with him in a city just outside of Kyoto. He was always kind to me, treated me like I was his own son.

"I was at school one day, and I got called into the principal's office. I remember being so scared that I had done something wrong," he said, frowning slightly. "But the minute I walked in there, I knew something bad had happened." He paused and look to Serena who watched him quietly before continuing. "There was a fire at my uncle's house. The only other relatives that I thought I had left, died. So for another couple of months I lived in an orphanage in Edo until a distant cousin of mine found me and claimed me as his own. He was more interested in being the caretaker of my money than actually taking care of me. We moved to the Azabu district when I was ten years old. He was never really around much; he liked to spend my money on booze and women, but he was the only family that I had left. And even though he would drink too much and didn't really care about what I did, I loved him." He paused again and seemed to be collecting his thoughts before he walked over to Serena and looked into her eyes. "He died from a drug overdose when I was sixteen."

Serena grimaced as she watched the expressions on his face change. She wanted to open her mouth to comfort him, she wanted to press her lips against his face and kiss away the sadness, but she did nothing and waited for him to continue speaking. "Well after that, I emancipated myself and was able to get a hold on a bit of my family's money. I was content with the life I lived. Andrew was my best friend, but for the most part, I was alone, and I was okay with that." He grinned fondly before looking at Serena, a small smile forming across his lips. "And then some clumsy meatball headed girl threw her abysmal test at me and for the first time in my life, I felt alive. You would walk into the Crown Arcade cheerful and I would insult you or make fun of you just to watch you get angry. To see your eyes light up with fury and your cheeks to turn red. You looked so adorable. A few months after I met you, I realized how special you were to me and how much I cared about you, and when you told me you felt the same, well, I couldn't have been happier. It felt like things in my life were finally starting to turn out right.

"And I fell in love with you," said Darien, reaching out and touching her cheek with his fingertips. "I hadn't meant for it to happen and probably would have preferred for it to not, but it did. A few months before we made love, I started to get flashbacks, memories of the car accident my parents died in. I remembered that it was my birthday and we were going to spend the week on a yacht in the bay because my parents knew that I loved the beach. My dad was driving and wearing his signature sunglasses. My mom was sitting in the front seat, her hand resting protectively over her stomach. I remember smelling the salt in the wind and feeling the cool beach air against my face from the open window. But then my mom screamed and my father swore and before I could remember, we were diving off the cliff into the sea beneath us. My mother looked back at me and tried to grab my hand but we hit the water so hard that everything went black. A couple of days later, I woke up alone.

"I tried to forget those images. I tried to block out how horrible I felt when I went to bed alone every night in that orphanage. I tried to forget how empty I felt when my aunt and uncle died, when my cousin died. But I couldn't and every loss I ever experienced was killing me. And then, that night came and you gave yourself to me and it was the most amazing night of my life, Serena," he said, closing his eyes as they began to sting. "And after that all I could think of was how much it would kill me to lose you. You were the most important thing in my life, you were the reason I got up in the morning, the reason I survived during the day, you were my entire world, and to lose you…I couldn't stand the idea. So I did what any coward would do," he said grimly. "I left you, before you leave me. I booked a flight to America and never mentioned it to anyone. Hell, Andrew didn't even know and he knew everything. I couldn't say goodbye to you, because it would have been too hard for me. I had to leave Japan, because everything I ever loved and lost, was here."

"Not everything," Serena said softly, closing the distance between them and laying her head against his chest. The rain began to fall softly on her head and she could feel the cold chill of the wind against her bones. "You never lost me." She sighed when she felt his arms wrap around her.

"I ran away from you," he said, looking down at her as the drops of water began to coat her forehead.

"I know," she said. "I didn't understand why…how you could…but I do now. Why didn't you just tell me?"

He chuckled dryly. "Because you would think I was a fool for being so frightened. You'd think I was weak."

"I could never think that," she said.

"You hated me," he said.

"Because I loved you and you hurt me. I felt so stupid and used and inadequate. I felt so worthless," she whispered against his chest as he brought his fingers to her damp mane and stroked her head.

"You're none of those things," he whispered into her ear. "I love you so much, Serena. Even more so than before, and I had to come back to tell you that."

She looked up at him and shivered. The evening wind was getting to her and despite the enlightening time she had spent with him, she wanted to get into the warmth of her home.

"Come on," he said, removing his jacket and covering her bare arms with it. "Let me get you home."

I

I

Their car ride home had been silent; a silence that permeated the vehicle but didn't bother either occupant. Darien and Serena were both caught up in a whirlwind of memories, some happy and some sad as they cruised down the winding streets of Tokyo. When they arrived at her apartment, he walked her to her door and said goodbye to her with a gentle kiss on the cheek. Regardless of the emotional boundaries that were broken tonight, neither felt ready to try and regain what they had lost. For them both, tonight was so draining that they each wanted to recover in the solitude of their own homes, readying themselves for whatever trauma and struggles might come as they tried to rekindle their old flames. She closed the door behind her before flipping on the lights and jumping as a familiar face greeted her with a mischievous smile.

"Where have _you _been?" he asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his wrinkle free Armani pants.

Serena sighed. "How the hell did you get in here?" she asked, removing Darien's coat from her shoulders and laying it on the back of the couch. Seiya grabbed the coat and surveyed the Gucci tag before placing it back on the sofa.

"At least he's got good taste," he said, before looking to Serena. "What'd he do to you? You look like you've been crying."

"No really, Seiya, how did you in here?" she asked, annoyed.

"I own this building Serena, how do you think?" he responded crossing his arms over his chest. "How is good old doctor Darien?"

Serena sighed. "I don't have time for this, I'm tired. Please go home."

"Not until you tell me about what's going on between you and Mr. Wonderful."

"I don't have to answer to you," she said, walking into her closet.

"A couple of days after I leave town and you walk into the arms of another man."

"We were broken up long before you decided to have a hissy fit last time and leave."

"Then why'd you go with me to Darien's little soiree?" he asked as she emerged from the closet with a pink fuzzy robe on.

"Because I was nervous about seeing him and you just showed up, like you always do."

"So tell me, _darling_, how long have you been in love with him?"

She glared before walking into the kitchen and pulling a bottle of water from the refrigerator. "That's none of your business, now go, Seiya. I mean it."

"Fine, but don't make me do something I'll regret."

"Are you threatening me?" she asked, slamming the bottle onto the granite counter tops.

"I'm doing whatever it is you think I'm doing. Goodnight, _sweetheart_," he said, opening the door and closing it behind him with a gentle thud.


	6. Chapter 5

Of Faux and Friends

Chapter 5

A/N: I know, I know, it's been a while, but I'm stressed out and it's difficult to write. For those of you who are reading _Moriari_ I'll update that one next.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Rating: M

I

I

Serena shivered beneath the warm covers of her large bed as a morning burst of cool air blew against her. Although the weather made her shiver, the shudders now coursing through her body were not only from cold air. Last night Seiya words cut through her and filled her with an unceasing dread that lingered in her soul. She had known him for years now and had seen the horrible things he had done in the name of expanding his business, but he never raised a hand to her or raised his voice. Their verbal fights mainly consisted of him talking in circles and trying to get inside of Serena's head, but he had never even attempted to do something violent with her. Perhaps this was the reason that Serena could not shake the eerie fear that remained present in her mind. The look on his face last night, the chill in his voice, for a moment she thought she was talking to another person; a person that had a dark power over her she couldn't control. For the first time in years, Serena Tsukino was genuinely frightened out of her mind.

Despite Seiya's jealously, would he really do something to physically harm her and would in turn, harm Darien? Her heart fluttered as she thought of him, _Darien_. A myriad of emotions were presently consuming her and she had the faintest desire to pick up the phone and call Darien and beg him to come over and hold her until her fears dissipated. But after last night, would he want to? He had shared so much of himself with her. He had confided in her things that she imagined he had not shared with anyone else. Her eyes stung as she remembered his words and the sound of voice, thick and full of raw emotion. Serena squinted against the sunlight that was bursting through the curtains, bathing her bedroom in a golden light. She pulled the covers to her chin and sighed. Her mind was too full of dangerous thoughts that she could not control.

Serena jerked when she heard the shrill sound of her phone ringing and with deft fingers, she reached onto the wooden bedside table before taking the hard plastic device into her hands and placing it against her ear.

"Hello." Even to Serena her voiced sounded foreign.

"Are you okay?"

She immediately popped out of bed and sat Indian style across the comforter. "Hi, Darien." Her heart was beating painfully and she once again found herself drowning in a multitude of feelings: fear, dread, despair, most of all excitement; an unbridled excitement that felt warm in her bosom and spread all the way down to her toes.

"What's wrong?" he asked concerned. "You sound strained."

She paused momentarily, wondering whether or not she should tell Darien about what Seiya had said. Would he think her childish if she did? "Nothing."

"Serena, your voice is shaking, what happened?"

She sighed loudly. "I'm just tired that's all."

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked. She could hear the smile in his voice.

"Don't be so smug, you're not the reason I couldn't sleep."

"I'm crushed." She could almost imagine him clutching his heart and keeling over dramatically.

"Then tell me the truth."

"Seiya came over last night," she said glumly.

"Your ex-boyfriend, Seiya?" His voice was monotone.

"The one and only."

"What did he want?"

"To scare me into not seeing you."

Darien paused and she heard him clear his throat. She waited quietly for him to say something and when no reply came, she became anxious. "You still there?"

"Not for long," said Darien, his voice an octave deeper. "I'm coming over."

"Why?"

"I don't like him. He shouldn't be pressuring you into anything, boyfriend or not."

"You don't have to rush over here," Serena said as she kneaded the comforter with her right hand.

"Yes I do," he said. "Besides, it's mostly an excuse for me to see you."

For the first time since she awoke early this morning, Serena smiled broadly into the phone. "Okay."

"I'll be there in half an hour."

"Okay," she repeated.

"Serena?"

"Yeah."

"I love you."

The grin she was wearing was so large it almost broke her face. "I love you too."

With that final goodbye, the blonde practically flew from her bed and into the bathroom where she turned on the water and proceeded to take a hot shower, a futile attempt to wash her waning fears away.

I

I

"What exactly did he say?" asked Darien as he lay reclined against Serena's couch, a cold lemonade in one hand and the other on her thigh.

"He asked me how long I'd been in love with you and I asked him to leave and he said don't make me do something I'll regret."

Darien looked away from her, deep in thought. "He has a key to my apartment," Serena said abruptly.

"Then you'd better get the locks changed."

"I think I'd better just move. Seiya owns this building so the staff is at his beck and call."

"Serena, why would he ask you how long you were in love with me? From what Raye told me, you wouldn't even talk to _her_ about me."

Serena blushed a deep red. "It's a long story," she said, reaching up and scratching the back of her neck.

"We've got time." He grinned sweetly at her.

"Okay well, Seiya and I…we never…you know…"

Darien smirked. "You never what?" His eyebrow cocked.

"If you keep looking at me like that, I won't tell you!" she shrieked.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Please continue."

"Seiya and I were never, ever intimate. One day he accused me of cheating on him and I told him that I wasn't and he started saying that the only thing keeping me out of his bed was the possibility that I was in love with another man."

"And?"

"And that's it. I said I wasn't cheating on him and that I wasn't in love with another man and then he kind of dropped it. But ever since them he would always show up uninvited like he was checking on me. I think he had people following me but I wasn't sure."

"He had people following you?" asked Darien incredulous. "And you were dating him because?"

"I was lonely," she said grimly, looking down at her hands. "I never dated anyone since I dated you and I saw this advice show that said you have to get back on the horse after you fall off or some crap like that." She paused. "Too bad I picked a psycho horse."

Darien chuckled. "I won't let him hurt you, Serena, you know that."

She looked to him and smiled. "I know."

An empty silence descended upon them and they both were at a loss for words. Could they really pick up where they left off? Could Darien love her without fear of encountering more pain? There were so many questions that were thus far left unanswered and if Serena pressed the matter, she might push him further away.

"A penny for your thoughts," said Darien.

"I think they're worth a little more than that." Serena remained silent for a moment. "Can we really do this?"

"Do what?" asked Darien, turning his body to face her.

"Us? I mean, we've changed a lot Darien. I'm not eighteen anymore. We've done a lot of growing up apart from each other. What if things are different? What if we can't make it again?"

Darien contemplated her words before responding. "We'll never know if we don't try Serena. I'm not afraid anymore. And I'd rather try a life with you in it, then try to live without you again."

Serena smiled at him before leaning in and kissing him gently on the lips. She sighed into the kiss; she had almost forgotten what it was like to kiss him. Darien's kisses were so different from Seiya's. While Seiya was possessive and controlling, Darien managed to be passionate and sweet at the same time. While Seiya would grip her clothes and attempt to fondle her breasts, Darien would caress her cheek and run his fingers through her hair. His kisses were fervent and intense while still being gentle and delightful. She would never want to kiss another man ever again.

As their kiss intensified Serena felt an unpleasant vibration against her thigh before an annoying beeping sound infiltrated the otherwise silent room. Darien immediately parted from her and looked down at his beeper. He held it up to his face and surveyed the number on the small rectangular screen before sighing loudly. "I'm sorry Serena," he said. "I have to take this." Quickly he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and walked to other side of the apartment where he spoke in a hushed voice. Serena could make out a few words here and there that consisted of congestive heart failure and surgery. His phone conversation finally ended with Darien rushing toward her.

"I'm sorry but I have to go," said Darien picking up his coat from her couch. "A patient needs a bi-ventricular pacemaker and a few surgeons are out at medical conferences."

Serena had no idea what a bi-ven...whatever he said was, but figured that it was important. She got up from her seat and followed Darien to the door. "I'll call you when I'm done."

"Okay."

"Dinner?" he asked.

"I'd love to."

He kissed her chastely before exiting her apartment and walking briskly toward the elevator. Serena smiled to herself and closed the door behind her before leaning on the wooden surface. After years of pining over Darien, he was finally back in her arms. At the moment, Serena's life couldn't get any better.

I

I

Darien keyed into his apartment and entered slowly. It had been a fairly long day at the hospital and he was exhausted. The only thing that got him through the day was the thought that in a number of hours he would be seeing _his_ Serena again. The thought of holding her in his arms and looking into her eyes made his heart flutter with emotion. With skilled hands he undid his tie, unbuttoned his pristine white shirt and kicked off the shiny black shoes he was wearing before laying them on the couch. He walked to his desk and lifted the lid on his laptop before turning it on and walking to the bedroom. He had been away from Tokyo for so long that he didn't know of many restaurants in town and he wanted to take Serena somewhere very special. Quickly he turned on the tap and took a short but refreshing shower before wrapping a towel around his otherwise nude torso and entering the large walk in closet that was to the left of his bathroom. He searched through hordes of clothing before settling on a black pinstripe shirt and black pants. He pulled on a pair of black socks and sat down at the computer desk. He went to a popular search engine and just as he began to type, he heard a loud knock at his front door. Surprised to have a visitor, he traipsed toward the door and opened it. When he saw the figure standing outside the door, his eyes widened in shock.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, as the visitor stared at him blankly.

"Hi, again," she said calmly, clutching an overnight bag and a purse in one hand.

"What are you doing here, Lily?" he repeated his voice firmer.

"Can I come in?"

Darien sighed before grabbing her bag and ushering her into his apartment. "Wow Dare, this is really nice."

"Are you going to answer my question or not?" His tone came out harsher than intended.

Lily sighed and pulled of the decorative hat she was wearing as her long red hair freed itself and cascaded down her back. "Obviously I'm here to visit you."

"You flew all the way from New York to visit me?" he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Not necessarily."

Darien sighed. "I have plans, Lily, I don't have time for games."

"Fine," she said, "is this serious enough for you." Suddenly the red head removed the oversized coat she was wearing and threw it onto the floor; it landed with a soft thud. Darien's eyes widened for a moment at her appearance but said nothing. She wasn't wearing anything unforgettably beautiful or special. Her legs were covered in blue jeans and she was wearing a long black shirt. The clothing wasn't what bothered him. It was what was under the clothes that scared the hell out of him.

"I'm pregnant," she said, annoyed by his silence.

"I can see that," he said, irritated. "I am a doctor."

"Well say something."

"Congratulations?"

Lily laughed dryly before inching closer to him.

"I'm pregnant Darien," she said grimly. "And this baby is yours."

Darien didn't move, he didn't speak; as a matter of fact his face was so stoic that if he were laying down, someone might have thought he were deceased.

"Please say something."

"I don't believe you," he said, his voice was almost a whisper and his throat was dry. Although there was a pregnant woman waiting expectantly in front of him, one thought continued to run through his mind. _Serena._

"You know I'm not lying," she said. "The last time we made love was four months ago Darien and I'm four months pregnant. We're having a baby. If you don't believe me, my doctor tracked the window of conception, I have the file here with me."

Darien was staring blankly at her swollen, protruding belly and he felt his knees weaken. This couldn't be happening. Not now. He had just found Serena again and he was going to lose her because he was going to be…a father. Slowly he walked to the chair behind him and sat down. What was he going to do? What was he going to tell Serena? Dread settled in the pit of his stomach. He was going to lose her again. He pinched the bridge of his nose and lowered his head into his hands.

At this moment, his Darien's life couldn't get any worse.


	7. Chapter 6

Of Faux and Friends

Chapter Six

A/N: Yeah, it's been a while I know. Life got in the way; but I hope you enjoy anyway.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Mature Rating

* * *

It had been three days since she had seen him. Her fingers skimmed the black cordless phone that sat idly on a wooden end table next to her couch. She contemplated calling him once again that day, but could not bring herself to do it; after all, his voice mail was already full with unchecked messages from her. Letting her hands drop to her side and plopping onto the couch, she leaned her head back against the pillow, closed her eyes and sighed. Three days ago, Darien had canceled their dinner plans and she hadn't spoken to him since. Serena had been quite worried that Darien had left the country again, until she ran into Andrew who had news that Darien was fine but didn't want to be bothered. Andrew didn't seem to know why his friend was being so anti-social and down right rude at the moment either. Her melancholy was so overwhelming that she ended up calling in sick at work, something that she rarely did. Repeatedly, she thought of their last conversation and pictured him sitting on the couch beside her, grinning slightly, his eyes sparkling as he stared into her cerulean orbs. Yet, now, she sat alone, contemplating where their relationship stood and what she had done this time to push him so far away. Glancing at her cell phone that sat on the glass coffee table, she stood up and headed for her bedroom; the only thing that could temporarily relieve her grief and confusion was a Tylenol PM and the thought of cocooning herself into her blanket and sleeping the day away.

Her footsteps were quiet against the floor and as she reached for the door to her bedroom, the gentle chime of her doorbell startled her and she fell still. Despite the knowledge that she had a visitor, Serena did not move an inch; instead she opted to stare at the wooden frame, her lips forming into a pronounced frown. When it rang a second and third time, she inched her way toward it and opened it swiftly. Surprisingly, Darien Chiba was staring at her, his grim expression mirroring her current disposition. He said nothing at first and instead opted to open and close his mouth repeatedly before looking to the ground.

"Can I…Can I come in?" he said, his voice weak and raspy. Serena studied him for a moment, noticing his disheveled appearance. Despite the concern that was coursing through her in regards to his present state, she remained silent. With a gesture of her arm, she moved back from the door and summoned for him to enter. Slowly, she sealed the door with a soft click before turning to face her counterpart.

"I was _this_ close to thinking you skipped out on me again," she said sarcastically, before smiling at her feeble attempt to lighten the mood and ease her own anxiety away. "You look like crap, rough three days at the hospital?"

Darien rubbed his face roughly, his hand skimming over the prickly stubble that was peppered across his jaw and upper lip. "I haven't been to the hospital," he said before clearing his throat. Serena noticed his edginess and the anxiety she was feeling immediately grew into full blown fear.

"Darien what's going on? Did something happen? Are our friends okay?" she asked frantically, her voice laced with panic. When he didn't respond, she took a step toward him and was taken aback when he stepped away. "What's the matter with you?" Her voice was no higher than a whisper.

"I have to tell you something," he murmured, making eye contact with her for the first time since he had arrived to her apartment. "Please, sit down." He gestured to her couch. Serena paused a moment before following his request and settling herself on the edge of her own sofa. She attempted to find a comfortable position on the otherwise perfect couch, but found that the trepidation that was currently affecting her would by no means allow her to relax.

"I don't even know how to start," Darien said as he began to pace around her living room, occasionally scratching his scalp and shooting nervous glances her way.

"You're really freaking me out," she said, staring up at his figure that had opted to hover over her. In order to calm her, Darien sat next to her on the couch and took her hand into his.

"I love you, you have to know that. And regardless of what I'm about to tell you, know that despite my actions, you were always in my heart," he said, his eyes searching hers. She nodded slowly, waiting for him to continue. He sighed. "I wasn't…I dated a couple of women when I was in America. Not right after I arrived, after quite some time actually."

"I figured as much," Serena said grimly. "We dated people while we were apart, Darien. So what?"

"I…you didn't…do you remember how you said you had never been…intimate with another man?"

Serena nodded. "I can't exactly say the same thing."

The blonde's eyes widened, before bringing her hand to her mouth and gasping. She looked around the empty apartment, forgetting that they were alone before leaning into whisper into Darien's ear. "You slept with another man?"

His eyes immediately also widened. "No!" he shouted. "I didn't mean…" his voice trailed. This situation would have been almost comical if it weren't happening to him. "I meant…I had sex with other women while I was in America."

Serena shifted in her seat uncomfortably but said nothing. She looked to her hands that were currently clutched in her lap. "Define, women."

"Two," he muttered, staring at her.

Serena sighed. "Well, we weren't together Darien and I can't exactly be mad at you for doing it with other girls. I…I don't really know how I feel about it, though. Check back with me tomorrow, I might be mad." She paused. "Is that what you were worried about? You didn't call me for three days because you had sex with a couple of other women over the span of seven years." She cocked an eyebrow.

"Not necessarily," he said grimly. "The fact that I had sex with someone else…there are certain…implications."

"Meaning…you have VD or something?" she questioned, her face stoic.

"No," said Darien, gesturing wildly with his hands. Serena sighed with relief. "But you're getting close."

"What?"

"I, there was a woman…her name is Lily and she…she came to Japan three days ago."

"The night of our dinner date?"

"Yes."

"Is she the reason why you canceled?"

"Yes," he repeated.

"Because she wants you back?" Her heart was beating painfully in her chest.

"Yes," said Darien, looking into her eyes.

"Is there more?"

"Yes," Darien said, letting his arms drop to his side and looking to Serena once again. "She's pregnant."

* * *

Darien closed the door to his penthouse and let his head rest against the hard surface. He contemplated banging his head against the door in hopes of losing consciousness for the next five months. The look on her face when he told her that Lily was…that he was going to be a father. How could even describe it? Shock, pain, fear; she looked as if she had just been shot in the heart. And the worst part? She didn't say anything to him afterwards; not a damn thing. She just sat there, staring at him with a stoic expression on her face. He had been prepared for her to hit him, throw him out, maybe even try to castrate him, but her doing nothing and just sitting there with that look on her face. After relaying the news to her, he tried to coax her into speaking with him and tried to tell her that this hadn't changed how he felt about her, that he loved her no matter what and that if she would take him, he would be hers for eternity. Yet, he couldn't because throughout his entire speech about working things out, she didn't say a damn thing. Eventually he just left and walked back to his apartment.

Slowly, he straightened up and walked toward the cordless phone that was sitting on a nearby surface and reached for it.

"Where have you been today?" asked a low rumbling voice that belonged to a female. Darien looked up to see his ex-girlfriend leaning against the wall, her hands stroking her protruding stomach, an expectant look on her face.

"I had to speak with someone," said Darien placing the receiver back on its base. "I gave you a key for emergencies, not so you could come frolicking around my apartment. What happened to your room at the Sheraton?"

"I checked out," she said, shrugging her shoulders and walking toward him. "I'm four months pregnant, Darien. I shouldn't be staying at some hotel room alone."

"_Some hotel room_? The Sheraton happens to be a five star hotel room and you were in a suite. You had help at your beck and call."

"Well the help isn't the father of my child," she said pointing to her stomach. "Look if you don't want to be with me that's one thing, but this is your baby too, Darien, and you should share responsibility for your son. I didn't make this baby alone, you know."

"I am quite aware of…did you say son? It's a boy? Isn't it a bit early to know that?" asked Darien his eyes widening as they fell to her stomach.

"My doctor said I would have to wait a couple more weeks to know for sure, but all the girls at my job said it's a boy. I think so too."

"Speaking of your job, what did you tell them?"

Lily looked away as though she were suddenly very fascinated with the walls in Darien's apartment. "I took a leave of absence for an indefinite period of time."

"Because…"

"I think it's best if I move to Japan," she said, biting her lip and looking at Darien.

His eyebrows arched but he remained quiet. "Look, I'm not trying to come here and change everything but I don't want our baby growing up without a family, you and I both know what that's like Darien. Don't do that to our baby."

Darien sighed loudly before pinching the bridge of his nose. She was right and he knew it. He and Lily had both shared a similar past, although hers was a bit more traumatic than his. At least he could boast that his family at least cared for him before they died, Lily's dad used to beat her mom before he walked out and her mother eventually became an alcoholic. She was turned over to child social services at the ripe old age of six. "You could have at least talked to me about this first," said Darien, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest.

"How could I? You left for Japan without as much as a word."

"We had broken up a long time before I left Lily, I didn't know I still had to tell you my whereabouts."

"Just because we weren't together anymore doesn't mean I didn't still care about you," she said looking at him. "And don't sound so bitter, you broke up with me, remember?" She fell silent, staring at the various collections of art and furniture pickled throughout the room. "Did you find her?"

"Find who?" Darien asked, his eyes narrowing.

Lily frowned. "Serena; you used to call her name out in your sleep sometimes."

"I did not." Darien scoffed.

Lily smiled. "Did too."

"No, I didn't."

"Because you would know what you did in your sleep," she said cheekily.

"Okay, fine, maybe I did. Why are you so concerned about it?" he asked, making his way to the kitchen.

"You came back to Japan for her presumably," said Lily, following him. "You were on the verge of starting a practice with some of the best doctors in the United States and you up and leave all of a sudden. Just tell me the truth, was it for her?"

Darien remained quiet. "Thought so. How does she feel about this?" asked Lily, once again pointing to her stomach.

"How do you think she feels?" asked Darien.

The red-headed looked contemplative at him before shrugging her shoulders. "Good point."

* * *

Fate- the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed- Serena was beginning to hate that word. Pulling the covers over her head, her gaze fell to the inky black midnight sky through the glossy pane of her bedroom window. The stars were twinkling ever so slightly against the blackness; fate was laughing at her and even the stars found her current predicament to be amusing. Was this their destiny, to be constantly pushed together and ripped apart? Was this some sort of karma catching up to her, making her pay for the selfish mistakes of her past. It seemed that life and circumstance had once again caused drastic, unwanted changes to enter her life and shatter whatever chance at happiness that she had left. In all honesty what had Darien expected her reaction to be, a congratulations and pat on the back? Things were just starting to look good for them, and for the first time in so long, she was ready to look to the future. And then this woman, with no face for her to recognize suddenly appears and puts all of her plans for them at a halt, a standstill. What had he expected her reaction to be? For them to completely disregard the fact that he had created a life with another woman? That he was bound to someone through this unborn child for the rest their lives? How was she supposed to feel about that? Darien and this other woman were about to embark on a journey that would bind them for eternity, and here she sat, the other woman who threatened to break up their perfect little co-existence. So in retrospect, she did what anyone in her predicament would do…she said a final farewell to the man that she had loved for almost all of her entire life. She would relish their tender moments from the past, but for now, there was no future for them. Not anymore.

"_You came," said Darien, relieved as he swung open the door to his apartment. She looked around quietly before stepping in and leaning against the wall._

"_Is she here?" she asked, her throat scratchy and dry. Admittedly she had been crying for a majority of the afternoon, and although concealer could hide the numerous bags beneath her inflamed eyelids, no remedy could destroy the pained sound that erupted from her mouth._

_Darien frowned. "No, she's not here. I asked her to leave so that we could talk. Do you want something to drink?" He scratched the back of his head._

"_No, I can't stay long," she replied, hardening her gaze as she stared at him. Darien shifted his stance but said nothing. The silence between them was palpable, pregnant with tension and fear. _

"_I've been thinking, about this," she said, waving her hands gently, " and I can't do it. I can't do this with you."_

"_You can't do what exactly?" Darien asked his heart pounding fearlessly within him; he already knew the answer to his question. She looked at him sympathetically before focusing her gaze on a portrait that hung on the walls of his living space. It was a painting of the New York skyline, bright and busy with people and things to do. She smiled sadly to herself; this was another facet of his life that she had no part in, that she couldn't share. _

"_I can't be this other woman in your life, when you're having a baby with someone else. Darien you're going to be a father, you don't need some other person clamoring for your attention."_

_He sighed. "Serena…listen-"_

"_No you listen, I know you loved this woman once upon a time, I know you could probably love her again if you tried. Do you really want to pass this up? You're being given the chance to finally have the family that you lost a long time ago. For the next nine months, she's going to need you, for the rest of its life, this baby is going to need you, and you expect me to just try and keep to you to myself. Regardless of how I feel about you, this is something bigger than the both of us. You're about to raise a child who will eventually be someone's father or mother, husband or wife. Darien this is probably the most important thing you'll ever do, and I won't stand in the way of this. I won't."_

"_You won't be in the way," he said, the desperation in his voice even obvious to her ears despite the conflicting thoughts that were running around in her head. She was doing the right thing, wasn't she? For him, for his baby? "I love you, so much, and I want…I need you here with me. I need you."_

_Serena smiled sadly before letting her fingers wrap around the brass door knob. She needed to get out of there, away from them, away from the place where so many memories stood to be made, memories that wouldn't include her. She turned her back to him and pulled the door open._

"_You mean everything to me," he said. "Don't go."_

"_I have to, Darien," she said, smiling sadly at him before rushing from his presence. "I have to."_

She pressed her forehead with the palm of her hand and felt the dampness of sweat on her skin. She didn't want to think about this anymore. She couldn't lay here and feel sorry for herself. It was her decision, it was her choice; she walked away from him, from her, from the whole situation and now she would have to live with the choice that she made, no matter how much it hurt.

* * *

"May I have twelve dozen red roses please and a couple of wildflower arrangements," said a red headed woman as she sat her purse down on the spotless marble counter before her.

"Sure thing, miss. For anyone special?" asked the florist, smiling sweetly at the pretty young lady.

"Not necessarily no, I'm staying with a…friend and wanted to bring some color to his apartment."

"Lucky friend," growled the deep, sultry of a voice from behind.

Quickly, Lily turned to see who was speaking with her when she noticed that it was a very attractive dark haired man standing beside her.

"Thank you," she said, taken aback by his good looks and charming smile.

"Why is it that all the lovely ones are taken?" he said, stepping up to the counter and leaning against it in a relaxed manner.

"Or pregnant," she said jokingly. Seiya glanced down and saw the small bump on her stomach and shuddered inwardly. The thought of being a father scared him to no end, why anyone would want to willingly raise a dirty little child was beyond him.

"What form of payment are you going to use miss?" asked the florist as she placed the order in the back for later.

"Can you please bill these to Darien Chiba?" she asked cheerfully. Seiya almost choked on his own spit. If she was having Chiba's baby…well this was almost too perfect. He smirked to himself.

"So Chiba's the lucky father, huh?" he asked casually, picking at a rose basket that sat beside him.

"Yeah, do you know him?"

"Darien and I go way back," he lied. _He only happens to be the man that's fucking my future wife._ "Funny he hasn't mentioned this to any of us."

"Well, it was kind of a surprise for us both and a recent discovery. Besides, he's not exactly thrilled about it just yet."

"I'm sure he'll warm up to the idea of having a child with a beautiful woman like you. Especially since there is no one else in his life right now," Seiya commented off handedly.

"Well, there's a girl, but I don't know…I don't know what's going to happen with them, considering…" she trailed off, a blank expression on her face.

"You know what, if you're going to be having one of my best friend's kids, I think it's appropriate for you and I to get to know each other. Let me take you to lunch," he said, flashing her his brightest smile.

Lily glanced at her watch and shrugged. "I don't really know anyone out here. That should be nice," she said thankfully, picking up her purse and turning to face Seiya.

"Wonderful," he said, holding out his arm for her to take it. "You know, I think this is going to be the beginning of a _beautiful_ friendship."


	8. Chapter 7

Of Faux and Friends

Chapter Seven

A/N: I know, sometimes I amaze myself (jk). I really had no intention on finishing this fic, but hell, let's give it a go. I changed some things in reference to the plot, so it's a little less melodramatic. Only a little though. Anyway, tell me what you think, reviews will keep me going.

Rating: M

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon's not mine.

* * *

"How long do you expect for us to keep this little charade up?" asked Lily, her fingers twirling around her auburn curls as she took another sip of water.

"Little charade?"

"Pretending we don't know each other, lying to Darien. He's no fool. He's going to figure out what's going on sooner or later."

"I would hardly call faking an amniocentesis and buying off doctor's a _little_ charade. Do you have any idea how much this is costing me, Lily?"

"You said it was worth it if it meant getting Darien out of her life."

"She is worth it. The question is, how much do you value your life with Darien over the life of your little bastard child?"Lily grimaced. For the last few days she had been regretting this little deal she had made with Seiya.

Now she was beginning to realize how Eve felt after she took a bite from that apple. "What are you getting at, Seiya?"

"You're right, Lily, Darien _is_ no fool. He's going to figure out that this baby isn't his and he's not going to be pleased that you've been lying to him about it."

"I'm aware of that Seiya. I'm not an idiot."

He chuckled, sipping his wine before staring wearily at her. He smirked; this poor girl had absolutely no idea what she had gotten herself into. "Do you love Darien the way you say you do?"

"Of course, I do. I wouldn't have responded to your offer and come all the way here if I didn't."

"Then answer my question. How far are you willing to go to win back your precious doctor?"

Lily paused before answering. Something broke inside her mind at his question and she feared asking him what exactly he had planned for her. When he tracked her down a little over a week ago and called her out of the blue, she had thought he was a telemarketer trying to sell her something, but when he stared spouting information to her about Darien, she knew he wanted something more than her money. Somehow he knew that she had been dating Darien before his departure and was pregnant with a child that wasn't his. He offered her the opportunity to win back the man she had lost and a considerable amount of money if she helped. He told her no one would get hurt in the process, that he could help her win him back at little cost to her. It all seemed too simple over the phone. He was articulate and cunning and for whatever reason, she trusted him. Yet, as she sat here, facing the man that was pulling the strings like a master puppeteer, all she could feel was fear, anxiety. What exactly had she gotten herself into and how far _was _she willing to go for him? She loved him so much and wanted desperately to live out the lie that she was creating with him. She would go to the ends of the world for him, even if it meant being guided there by the devil himself.

She sighed, her will was resolute, her destiny sealed. "I'm willing to go as far as it takes."

Seiya smiled. That was exactly what he was waiting to hear.

* * *

"Earth to Serena!" yelled Raye, waving a fork in front of the blonde for dramatic effect.

Serena focused her eyes on her friends before returning her concentration to the mother feeding her child in the park opposite the café where they were eating. She smiled sadly. Soon that would be Darien and Lily, strolling down the park with their new child. Reveling in the unwavering love that emanated from all new parents. She had never in her life been so envious of anyone. Another woman was living her dream, building a life with a man she had loved since her adolescence. Perhaps it was better this way, she and Darien had far too many demons between the two of them for their relationship to ever really make it to forever.

"Are you okay?" Serena, asked Mina, placing a hand over friends arm, a concerned expression on her face.

Serena smiled sadly. They would find out the news eventually. It couldn't hurt to tell them now. "Darien's having a baby."

Raye's eyes immediately widened in disbelief. "You're lying."

"Why the hell would I lie about that?" Serena snapped, glaring at her counterpart.

"Because…because you hate him that's why."

"I wouldn't make something like this up."

"If Darien was having a baby with someone then I would have been the first to know. He would have told me."

Serena laughed lowly. "Well it wasn't exactly planned. It was a nice little surprise for him."

"When he did tell you all of this?" asked Amy, putting her fork down and staring intently at Serena.

"A few days ago."

"So he just waltzed into your apartment and told you that he was going to be a father before telling me?"

"If it makes you feel any better I doubt Andrew knows either."

Raye frowned. "I don't believe you."

"Fine," said Serena, pushing the empty plate away from her as she leaned back further into her chair. "You can call him and ask. He's probably picking out pastels with his lovely girlfriend as we speak." Even to herself she sounded bitter.

"So wait, Darien decided, of all people, to come to your apartment and tell you that he was having a kid with someone that we've never even met?" asked Mina, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"That about sums it up."

"That doesn't even make sense," shouted Raye.

"It does actually, he owes me the truth," said Serena, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She was tired of keeping this secret from her friends. She wanted them to know the truth about her lies. "Considering our past."

"You two weren't exactly friends Serena, it doesn't make sense to us for him to divulge a huge secret like this to you," Amy said.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about Darien."

"And you're implying that you know him better than us?" asked Raye annoyed. "Better than me?"

"I know him better than any of you will ever know."

"What is that supposed to mean?" cried Raye.

"It's not supposed to mean anything; it's just a simple fact that he and I are closer than you all think."

"Yeah right, Serena, you two were so close that he ignored you for seven years and only kept in touch with me and Andrew."

"There's an interesting story behind all of that," said Serena, gathering up her things and rising to leave. "You should ask him to tell it to you sometime."

* * *

Night had fallen over her apartment and the only visible sign of color was the blue hue of the moonlight that bounced off the walls within the dark room. She sat there quietly, clutching a fleece blanket to her chest, a mug of steaming tea warming the hands that lay idly in her lap. Her phone hadn't stopped ringing since her impromptu speech at lunch this afternoon. She hadn't spoken to any of her friends since she arrived home, but she surmised from the voicemails that they had left, that every single one of her friends had called Darien. And that he had ignored every single one of their calls.

It didn't surprise her that he didn't pick up. He was probably furious with her for spreading his news, but she couldn't help it. It was this dirty little secret that was festering inside of her, egging on her rage, fueling her sorrow. She had to tell somebody or it would consume her like a boat in a raging storm. Her hand shook as she brought the tea to her lips, the scorching liquid burning her mouth and throat as she swallowed it down.

She wondered what he was doing now. Was he lying in bed stroking her belly, planning his future with the woman that had come and interrupted their second chance at love? Her eyes stung; she had been trying so hard not to cry that her tear ducts felt like they were going to explode. Her head throbbed and despite the tea, her mouth was parched. She needed…something. She needed to be around someone that cared for her, that loved her, that could take her mind off the burden that was ripping and tearing at her heart.

Shakily she reached for the phone and held the plastic against her ear, the cold stinging against her warm cheeks. She hesitated for a moment before placing the mug on the coffee table before her and dialing the digits the she knew so well. She waited, her hands trembling as the phone rang once, twice…she imagined that he wasn't going to pick up, considering everything that had happened between them recently.

"_Hello?" _The voice was calm, knowing, triumphant.

"_Seiya?"_

"_Serena?"_

"_I…are you busy?"_

He paused. She could almost see the smug smirk on his face. "_I'm never too busy for you."_

"_Can you come by later? I…need to see you."_

"_Anything you want, love."_

He hung up the phone gently before leaning back into his leather chair watching the logs in the fire place as they crackled and split. The grin on his lips was more than noticeable. Everything was falling right into place. Darien would be out of the picture soon, that little bitch Lily would get what she wanted and Serena, his beautiful Serena, was falling into his arms, just where she belonged.

* * *

"Raye, it's almost midnight. What are you doing here?" asked Darien, rubbing his red, swollen eyes as he viewed the brunette before him.

"I wouldn't be here if you answered your phone from time to time."

He sighed. "I had a busy day."

"Did you? What were you doing that kept you so occupied?" she asked, peeking into the dark, seemingly empty apartment. "I called your job. They said you called in sick today."

Darien grimaced. "I suppose I should invite you in then."

"That would be nice."

He moved to the side and gestured for her to enter. Raye searched stealthily for some sort of clue, anything that would indicate that someone other than Darien was living here and that she was in fact, of the female persuasion. However as always the apartment was spotless and if there was a pregnant girlfriend running around, she was nowhere to be found.

"So are you going to tell me what you're doing here so late or are you going to play _Where's Wally_ in my apartment?"

"So you know why I'm here then?" she asked, spinning to face him, taking in his appearance. He looked tired and haggard at best.

"I'm figuring Serena told you."

"So it's true?"

Darien sighed. "Yeah, it's true."

"Where is she?"

Darien shrugged. "Sleeping."

"Here?"

"She wouldn't stay anywhere else."

Raye laughed. "Where did you try to ship her off to?"

"The Sheraton."

"Hoping she'd disappear?"

Darien frowned. "Maybe."

"That's not like you, to shirk your responsibilities."

"I don't need a lecture right now, Raye. I know what I have to do."

"So you're okay with her keeping the baby then?"

"She's four months pregnant. I don't have a choice."

Raye paused looking around, feeling pity for him. "Serena's really upset. I'm not quite sure why though."

He smirked; he was surprised that she didn't tell her friends the whole story. It was a lot to discuss he supposed and they had told a lot of lies to skirt around the fact that they were dating and completely in love behind their friends backs. "Is she?" asked Darien, feigning nonchalance. "I can't imagine why."

"I can't imagine why you would tell her before you would tell any of us."

Darien looked down to the ground before staring up at the frowning girl. He could tell she was about to go into lawyer mode. "It's complicated and I don't want to talk about it."

"I've never seen her like this. She's so detached, so bitter. I think she may do something stupid."

Darien crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't have any control over what Serena does."

"Her behavior today proves otherwise."

"Raye, please, it's late."

"I've always been there when you needed me and never asked anything from you. But Serena is my friend and I deserve to know what's going on between the two of you."

"Why don't you ask her then? She seems so eager to tell the whole world about what I'm dealing with then she should be just as ready to talk about herself."

Raye sighed. "Fine, but you need to find a way to fix this."

"I can't, Raye, this situation is completely fucked and now Serena is fucked because of it. Do yourself a favor and don't get involved."

"Don't get involved?" cried, her voice elevating. "You two are my best friends. You're hiding stuff from me and Serena is hurting. I'm already fucking involved."

"I'll talk to her, okay, just please go home before you wake Lily."

"So she does have a name. Am I ever going to get to meet her?"

"Yeah. One day."

"I'm going to hold you to that," she said, opening his door and stepping outside.

"I know you will," he said, watching her retreating figure before leaning against the wall and pressing his back against the wooden frame. _Serena, I'm so sorry._

He shook his head before grabbing his coat and car keys. He needed to find her and at least try to make things right.

* * *

"You look upset," asked Seiya, setting his keys on the table sitting beside her on the couch.

"I didn't think you'd come." Her expression was blank, her features tired. He could see how this was hurting her and a small part of him hated what he was doing. But a few months from now when all of this was over, she would be happy with him, as his wife and Darien would be a distant memory.

"I told you I'd always be here when you needed me."

"I'm sorry for the way I treated you lately. There were other things…I…I'm sorry." She looked toward him and smiled sadly.

She closed her eyes when he reached out and touched her cheek. His fingers entwined themselves with her own and before she could stop herself, she was straddling him. His arm was firm around her waist, his breath warm against her cheeks. His lips were soft and yet firm against her collarbone, her neck, her lips. She felt too weak and vulnerable to stop him. What was the point in waiting? Darien was out of her reach for good now. What was so wrong with giving in to the man that loved her?

She returned his embrace, her lips covering his, his tongue dancing against her own. He pulled her hips over his and she found herself unable to stop from moving them on her own accord. She could feel his hardening length expanding beneath her and the friction felt tantalizingly good against her core.

She didn't fight him when she felt the robe loosen around her arms and almost cried out in anticipation with her bare breasts hit the crisp air. He immediately latched his mouth onto her swollen buds and nipped and sucked until she was mewing and whimpering, her hands fisting in his hair. He shifted slightly, removing his own jacket and shirt as he traced kisses up and down her neck.

Quickly he scooped her into his arms and pressed her into him. She gasped when she felt herself being lifted. He continued his ministrations as he made his way to the bedroom, making an intermitted stop against a wall, pressing her back into the wooden surface as he ground against her again.

"I've been waiting for this for so long," he said, his voice low and gruff. Through her panties he began to stoke her lips, her womanhood trembling with fresh need as she cried out against him. She suddenly felt guilty of depriving him for so long, making him wait because she had never given up on the man that broke her heart so many years ago.

His fingers hooked around her panties when the sudden knock on the door shook her from the sultry cloud of lust that was clouding her vision. She tensed when the knock came a second time.

"Leave it," said Seiya. "It's past midnight."

"It could be important. It may be one of my friends."

"They could have called," he said, nibbling on her neck earning another gasp of pleasure from his writhing companion.

"It may be important!" she said again, sliding down the wall away from him. Seiya sighed in frustration as he let her go, rubbing his hands through his hair. "It'll only take a minute. I just want to see who it is."

"_Serena it's Darien! Please, just, open the door," _he called from behind the wood that was trembling under the force of his knocking.

She stopped moving, her heart catching in her chest. She looked to Seiya who looked like he was going to explode from anger. "I'll answer it," he said, finally, stepping over the carelessly discarded clothing that lay strewn around the floor.

He gripped the brass handle and ripped it open hastily.

"Serena-"

"What the hell are you doing here?" yelled Seiya eyeing the man that stood erect in the doorway.

Darien sucked in a breath of surprise before scowling at the man. He was shirtless and disheveled. It was pretty obvious what they had been doing. "I could ask you the same thing."

Seiya laughed. "I was about to make love to my girlfriend. Considering you interrupted, I think its best that you leave."

"I'm not going anywhere without Serena. Where the hell is she?"

Darien shoved Seiya hard enough to push him into the adjacent wall before meeting the gaze of the surprised and bewildered girl that stood clutching her clothes before him. "Are you okay?"

"Of course she's okay," said Seiya recovering from Darien's assault. The man had pushed him so hard that all the wind was not knocked out of him. "I wasn't forcing her, she was more than willing."

"Seiya," Serena said, warningly.

"I need…I just need to talk to you," Darien said, stepping closer to the blond.

"You don't have anything to talk about it."

"Are _you_ Serena?" asked Darien forcefully, his fists clenching. "Stop answering for her. She's perfectly capable of speaking for herself."

"You have no business here, Chiba."

"I'd beg to differ, Takagawa."

"Don't come here picking fights. I would hate to have to send you back to your pregnant little twat of a girlfriend bruised and bloody," Seiya said, cracking his knuckles and stepping toward Darien.

"So I guess you told _everyone_ then," Darien said looking at her with an irritable expression on his face.

"I never told _him_. How did you know about that Seiya?"

He laughed. "I was at the florist attempting to buy flowers for you when I ran into her, bragging about how you knocked her up and sending roses to herself on your dime. Your little girlfriends a fucking idiot. By next week the whole towns going to know about Chiba, Jr."

"Stay out of this, Seiya," Darien yelled, stepping toward Serena.

"Not even going to defend the mother of your child. Guess you won't be in the running for the father of the year award," Seiya said smugly.

"Shut up," said Darien, rounding on Seiya and approaching the younger man quickly.

"You probably don't even give a fuck about her. You're too busy here trying to seduce _my_ girlfriend."

Darien chuckled. "Some boyfriend you are. Last time I checked, threatening your _girlfriend_ when she breaks up with you isn't exactly what I would call wooing her."

"No, but I suppose knocking someone up and then leaving them to rot in New York is. You have a habit of hasty escapes Darien. At least I stuck around. Too bad I can't say the same about you."

"She's better off without you. _You_ should have left!"

"But I didn't! I'm a man of my word. Not some fucking coward who leaves town just because he's too much of a bitch to handle a few bumps in the road."

Darien paused momentarily before thrusting his fist into the younger man's face. Serena screamed as she saw Seiya's head pop to the left, a small amount of blood flinging itself onto a nearby wall.

"Stop it Darien!" she yelled running toward Seiya who had fallen on the floor, weakened by the impact of Darien's attack.

Seiya immediately pushed himself up before charging at Darien, pushing his back into a wall and landing a punch against the older man's jaw. Darien immediately recovered from the blow and kneed Seiya in the groin pushing him from his body and slamming his fist once again into the other man's face.

Seiya swore loudly as his vision went black for a moment. He stumbled backwards clutching the couch for leverage. "You son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you!"

"I'd like to see you try," Darien said, using his fist to wipe the small trickle of blood that stained the corner of his lips.

"If the both of you don't cut this out I'm calling the police!" yelled Serena, frowning at them both.

"Well tell you're crazed ex-boyfriend to get the hell out of here!"

"You first," Darien spat vehemently.

"You both can leave for all I care! Get out. Both of you. Now!"

"Not until you talk to me," Darien said, vulnerability replacing the rage in his eyes. "Please, just talk to me."

"I don't think so," Seiya said, stepping forward. Serena immediately went to step in front of him. Her hand pressed into his chest as she stared pleadingly into his eyes. "We need to settle this. Just me and Darien. I'll come see you as soon as this is over. I promise."

Seiya sighed. Things were not turning out how he had planned. He had never expected Chiba to show up and fight for her fucking honor. He cringed. He was going to have to leave her alone with Chiba. He could play the understanding boyfriend. For now.

"Fine, but if he does anything to upset you, I'm coming back," Seiya said, wiping the blood from his mouth and kissing her cheek. Quickly he put on his shirt, grabbed his coat and exited toward the door.

"I'll be seeing you Chiba."

"You can count on it," Darien replied, watching as he disappeared from the door frame. He shut the door behind him slowly.

"Why are you here?" Serena asked, pulling the robe tighter around herself.

"Raye said if I didn't come you'd do something stupid. Apparently that means having sex with your homicidal boyfriend."

Serena sighed. "Go home, Darien."

"I didn't come here to pick a fight with you or Seiya, Serena. But considering that's the only way I can get you to talk to me… you won't answer my calls."

"I was planning on calling you back, it's just….if she answers the phone I might lose it. It's easier for me to think of her as someone who doesn't really exist. I don't want to picture you with her."

"But she does exist," he said, stepping toward her. "And I can't change that, Serena."

"I know."

"Just because…I told you, nothing has changed for me." She didn't protest as he reached out and touched her arm, pulling her into him. She was warm and small in his arms.

"I…we can't. I can't."

Darien smiled grimly. "So you'd rather be with Seiya than with me?"

"No. For right now, I'd rather be by myself. I just…I need time to think about things, I just don't know what to do," she said, maneuvering herself from his grip.

He sighed. "Okay. I know this situation is difficult. But just because I'm having a child with Lily, it doesn't mean that I'm going to pick up with her where I left off. I'll wait forever for you. I'm always going to love you Serena, no matter what you decide."

He lingered for a moment before closing the door behind him. As soon as the door slammed shut she felt her resolve break. The tears came in waves, strong and unyielding, the sounds of her sobs consuming all notions of tranquility in her apartment. This situation with Seiya and Darien, his baby, the secrets she was keeping from her friends, it was so suffocating. She felt so painfully trapped. She needed a break, an intermission to gather her thoughts. As long as she stayed here surrounded, so near to everything that reminded her of him, stayed within an earshot of hearing about him and his complicated relationship with _her_, she would succumb to the feelings of inadequacy and jealously that were surging within her. She needed to leave this apartment; she needed to leave this city.

She needed to get out of Japan.


	9. Chapter 8

Of Faux and Friends

Chapter 8

A/N: Another chapter. Please Review.

Rated M (for a lot of reasons)

* * *

"I can't imagine why you'd want to leave," said Madison, reclining in the expensive Italian leather armchair that elegantly modified her corner office. "Are you unhappy here?"

"Not at Vogue," Serena said truthfully, as she stared distractedly out the window.

The sky was darkening, the setting sun causing a hierarchy of blue hues to paint the sky in a fabulous sequence as colors blended and faded from light to dark. The skylight was forming, the busy streets filling with cars as students and workers began their long commute home. She would miss the bustle of the busy street corners, the vendors shouting prices into the air, the cheerful jingle of honking horns and laughing patrons.

"Then why are you asking for a transfer?" asked the middle aged woman.

"Things in my life are complicated right now. I need a change."

"And do you think running away is the only answer?"

"No," said Serena looking at the woman carefully. "But if I don't get out of town I'll suffocate here."

Madison sighed, brushing her dark bangs from her face. From first glance no one would have guessed that Madison Blake, the Editor and Chief of Vogue Magazine was approaching her fifties. She was beautiful, sophisticated and successful. She was everything Serena wanted to be. Soon after she graduated from college, Madison had let her on as an intern, helped her steadily rise from nothing to Fashion Director in a few short years. She owed the woman everything.

"I felt like that once," said the older woman, smiling at Serena gently. She got up slowly and walked to the small bar on the east side of the office. "After my husband divorced me." The blonde watched silently as she poured herself a glass of cognac, the amber liquid sloshing around gently in the crystal tumbler. "Keep in mind, he had cheated on me before that. Many times, with a secretary at his law firm. And _he _divorced _me._ I felt lower than dirt and thought running off somewhere else would make all my problems go away. But I didn't." She took a sip of the glass before continuing. "I worked my ass off until I was in control of my own company. Now I had just as much success as he did, almost as much power. And I showed that son of a bitch what he missed out on, just because he was thinking with his downstairs brain more often than not."

Serena smirked at the story. "I'm not you Madison and our situations aren't the same."

"True, they aren't. But wherever you run Serena, your problems have a way of finding you. It's like a cut, you can take care it right away or you can let it fester until it's too late. Don't let running away from this be something you'll regret later on in life. Take a day or two off, think about it. I would hate to lose you here, but if this is what you need, then I won't stop you from leaving."

Serena smiled sadly before getting up to leave. She waved goodbye gently before stepping out of the office, her blue suede Mary Jane's clicking against the marble floors. Practiced movements led her to the elevator, monotony into the parking lot. The snapping of her shoes a tune she had heard many times before. She wondered if this would be the last time she found herself in the parking lot beneath the looming tower in the fashion district of Azabu. If things went her way she would have a plane ticket by morning and from the clouds she could watch the skylight disappear as she left the only home she had ever really known.

She frowned gently, reaching the door of her black Mercedes before idly tossing her purse into the passenger's side, and stepping in, the worn, comfortable leather yielding under her weight.

Minutes later she found herself driving nowhere, quietly appreciating the twinkling stars as they shone and sparkled above her, drinking in the sites of the bright lights and glowing faces. Her heart ached with nostalgia. She remembered walking down these streets as a teen, hoping to make it here someday, to be somebody in the glamorous world of photographs and fashion, of cashmere and lace. Despite the success, the money, the swatches and accessories, she was still unhappy, trouble still managed to find her, and she found herself regressing into the self conscious awkward teenage girl that she thought she left behind so many years ago.

Maybe Madison was right. Maybe running from your problems wasn't the best way to solve them. Could she really leave her family behind, all her friends? The position in Europe was permanent and she wouldn't have as much pull with her new boss as she did with her current. What would happen to her fashion line? She had worked so hard to get that off the ground. It was a side project for now. It was the one thing she could do for herself, for the pure love of designing elegant gowns that completely embraced women in beauty.

There were so many reasons for her to stay and only one for her to leave.

She sighed heavily, pulling into a free spot on the side of the street, listening as the engine quieted before grabbing her purse and keys and stepping out of the warm car into the cool night air. She found herself at the Promenade, a small shopping center in the heart of Azabu, where she used loiter around when she was just a teen. She had come here plenty of times with the girls, staring longingly into Saks Fifth Avenue, the Coach and BCBG Store, wondering what it was like to have such nice things, to be enveloped in so much wealth that the world was at your fingertips.

Serena, was by no means, filthy rich, but the money that she did earn afforded her a comfortable lifestyle, free of having to worry about the haves and the have nots. She walked from Neiman Marcus to the Swarovsky, from Vera Wang to Jimmy Choo, admiring the well dressed mannequins and the women, exiting and entering, infecting the stores with impeccable fashion and uninhibited excitement.

She had ventured from the west wing to the east, picking up trinkets and hand bags as she shopped the night away, kept company by her lone solidarity, pleasantly enjoying the musings within her own mind. She contemplated dinner, resisting the temptation to go to the steakhouse on the first floor and indulge in an overpriced and fattening albeit delicious and fulfilling burger, when she heard a familiar voice speaking beside her.

She stopped quietly before turning her head, her eyes widening as cerulean met sapphire, his deep blue eyes wide with shock, _hers_ squinting in confusion. He was there, with her, picking out things for the baby. Their baby. There was a clear bag under his arm, and through it she could see the small jumpsuit outlined with ducks, the tiny shoes, the baby books. He was preparing for the next path in his journey of life.

And finally her eyes fell upon the red head beside him, her arm tucked protectively under his, her hands clutching small bags full of trinkets that were undoubtedly for their child and her heart was so full of sorrow it might burst into a puddle of blood and tears. She was beautiful, leggy and elegant and swollen with his child. She smiled sadly to herself. That girl was living her dream, taking from her the life she had wanted since the moment that they had kissed. And as soon as she saw her that feeling came back, the suffocating, the feeling of drowning in a sea of grief, of envy and jealously.

She turned on her heel quickly, hearing Darien's voice as she walked as fast as her heels would permit toward the garage and into her car. He was calling her name louder, his stride larger his footsteps faster and before she knew it, his fingers had latched against her elbow, pulling her towards his body and turning her to face him.

"Serena." His voice was gentle and apologetic.

She glanced to the side, focusing on a child in the throes of a tantrum. Snot flinging from his nose, his hands balled into fist as he hammered the ground, his voice a piercing wail of fury. That's what Darien had to look forward to. A lifetime of that. She was lucky, she could still be self absorbed and free; she didn't have to worry about taking care of a child of her own.

"I'm…I'm sorry."

She shrugged her arm out of his grip. "Why are you sorry?" She looked to him, her eyes defiant, harsh, stony.

She was trying to be strong and callous; that he could see, and it was killing him. Meanwhile Lily was standing near them looking confused and incredibly guilty. "I didn't know you'd be here," he said, trying to ease the silence.

She laughed bitterly. "It's a free world, you don't need my permission to go shopping with your…your…"

"Lily."

"Right. Lily."

"Do you…You could say hi, I mean…"

"Why would I want to say hi?" she snapped. She was being a complete bitch. But she couldn't help it; it was either be a cunt to him or burst into tears in the middle of the god damn mall.

He sighed. "Please, Serena. Don't push me away. I want you to be a part of the baby's life. A part of my life-"

"I have to go. I have to leave. I can't stay," Serena said, turning away from him. Quickly she glanced back. "I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy."

He tried to retort but she picked up her pace and his words fell upon deaf ears.

_Only you can make me happy._

* * *

It had been five days since she had run into Darien, five days since she had been home, and over a week since she had spoken to her friends. She was hiding out at Molly's now, with her phone on silent and her computer off. Molly was at a medical conference for nurses and upon hearing news of Serena's complicated life, offered her a safe haven to run to. It was quiet here, away from nosy friends, controlling boyfriends and pleading ex-boyfriends. For the first time in a while, it was quiet enough for her to think, for her to make up her mind.

She was moving to London.

The transfer was finalized, the papers in the mail, she was leaving in less than a week. Her position started immediately. Professional movers were packing her things away, she was speaking to a lawyer about her design company, and her plane ticket was currently staring at her from across the living room. This was the right decision. This was what was best for her, for Darien, for everyone.

Now all she had to was tell her friends.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Raye asked, leaning dramatically against the chair as their waiter left quickly to fill their orders.

"I had some stuff to take care of," responded Serena.

"Which is why you wouldn't answer your phone all week?"

"Yeah, that's why," said Serena, sipping her water.

"Well you were right. Darien's ex-girlfriend is having his baby."

Serena snorted. "Of course I was right."

"Is this what you asked us here to talk about?" asked Mina, forking a piece of bread into her mouth.

"No. I have an announcement," said Serena, her stomach tightening up as she contemplated their reactions. "I got a promotion."

The collective squeal at the table was deafening, even to her ears. The shouting was immediately followed by a round of congratulations and hugs. "When does it come into effect?"

"Next week."

"Are you getting a bigger office?" asked Lita.

"Funny you should ask. Because I am. I'm getting a bigger office, in the new building I'm going to work at. Which is in London."

The constant chatter immediately became silent, realization painting their faces an ugly shade of shock and disbelief.

"You're leaving?" asked Mina, dropping the sourdough roll that was resting in her hands. "For how long?"

Serena shrugged, guilt washing over her. "Indefinitely."

"So it's settled?" asked Lita. "You're being promoted and moving away?"

"Yeah," said Serena looking at her friends quietly. Her eyes stung. "I'm going to be managing more employees and have more creative control over marketing. It's a really good opportunity."

"Of course it is," said Ami, staring at the other girls pointedly. "We're just surprised that's all, but we're _all_ really happy for you, aren't we Raye?"

Serena looked to the brunette waiting for a response. Raye simply stared back, her eyes narrowing before taking a sip of water. "Why are you really leaving Serena?"

"What?

"You heard me." Raye asked, leaning across the table.

"I don't know what you're implying-"

"This is about Darien isn't it? What aren't you telling us?" Raye whispered harshly as she leaned further across the table.

"I'm telling you that I got a promotion, I thought you'd be happy for me."

"You're lying. Last week you get bent out of shape because Darien's girlfriend is pregnant, you avoid us for a week and now you're skipping town. I'm not stupid. Tell me what the hell is going on!"

"Raye, calm down," said Ami placating, placing a hand over her arm.

"Look," said Serena, rising from her seat and throwing her cloth napkin onto the table. "I just wanted you to hear about me moving from my own mouth. I'm not going to sit here and play twenty questions with you. I leave Thursday. Come by if you want to see me before then."

* * *

"I'm getting threatening phone calls you know," said Seiya, pouring her a glass of orange juice and setting it beside her. It was the first time she had been to his place in a long time. It was nice to see her there. "What's going on with you? Your friends keep asking me if I'm putting you up to this."

Serena grimaced before sipping the orange juice and staring solemnly at Seiya, her lips pursed. "I'm leaving town."

His eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"I…I just need to go."

"On vacation?"

She chuckled. "No. For…a while. Until I can get my head straight."

Seiya smirked, shaking his head before pinching the bridge of his nose and looking up at her. "This is about Chiba, isn't it?"

"It's about a lot of things. My friends, Darien, you."

"Me?"

"I wasn't the best girlfriend to you. I haven't been a good friend to any of my friends. I've been keeping secrets. Lying. I need to leave. I need to start over, somewhere else."

"And you're telling me this now?"

"If it makes you feel better I told my friends today and Darien doesn't know."

"It doesn't." He paused. "What did you expect me to say?"

"I don't know. Be angry, say you never want to see me again."

"Well I'm angry," he said, rolling his eyes. This was not supposed to happen. She was supposed to fall into his arms not move further away from him!

"I just wanted to tell you."

"Fine. But that doesn't mean that I don't still love you, or that we're going to break up."

Her eyes widened. "Did you hear what I just said? I'm moving. To London! Thousands of miles away."

"I have a jet."

"It's not like it's a drive across town Seiya. It would take you hours to get there."

"Then make the trip worth my while."

"And how can I do that?"

Seiya smirked. Now was as good a time as any. "Marry me?"

* * *

She sighed, lifting her legs and letting them rest against the boxes that had long replaced furniture in her living room over the past two days. It had been one hell of a week. She had requested a transfer, decided to move to Europe, met the mother of Darien's child, fought with her friends and gotten engaged all in one week. She looked down to the enormous jewel that weighed down her left finger. What the hell was she thinking when she said yes to Seiya?

The response just sort of spilled out her mouth. She was twenty six years old, alone, feuding with her friends, and pining for a man she couldn't have. Sure, Seiya could be pompous and arrogant, but she had her fair share of flaws too. He loved her, loved her enough to want to spend the rest of his life with her despite how she had treated him the last few months. That had to count for something. Right?

She shut her eyes gently, listening to the ticking of the clock and the beating of her own heart. She had always imagined herself freshly engaged and this was not how she had expected to feel. Like she was making a really bad decision.

But the deed was done, she had already said yes and accepted the beautiful emerald cut three carat sparkler that was glistening on her hand. Two days from now she'd be in London, in a new town with a new position that had challenges of its own. Change was on the horizon, she should be excited. Not moping on her couch in the middle of her almost empty apartment.

She came to her feet, looking around the room before she ventured to what was left of her bedroom, just as the doorbell chimed loudly. She glanced at the clock momentarily; it was nearly one in the morning.

It was one of her friends; it had to be at this hour. Tiredly, she opened the door and reached for it before pulling it open. Standing before her was Darien Chiba, his hands resting on the doorway, worried eyes meeting her own.

"Can I come in?" he asked, his voice strained. Quiet.

"I don't think that's a good idea. It's late."

He stood silently, looking at her, his eyes sad. "Is it true?"

"Which part?"

He looked confused. "Raye told me…told me you're leaving."

"Oh," she said, hiding her left hand behind her back. "Yeah it's true. "

"Because of me?"

"Because of a lot of things."

"But mostly me?"

She smiled sadly. "Yeah mostly you."

His lips wavered. "Please don't do this."

"It's already done."

"What can I do? To make you stay?"

She laughed softly. "You can't do anything. The movers are coming tomorrow to take my things to be shipped, the contracts are signed. I'm going."

Darien inhaled sharply. "Okay." She stood there solemnly, him staring her, her staring at him, minutes passing by slowly. "Just answer me one question."

"Okay."

"Do you still love me?"

"I will always love you."

"Good," he said, before walking forward, pressing her body against his and capturing her mouth in a rough kiss. She inhaled harshly, surprise catching her off guard as she tumbled into his arms. His mouth was like fire against hers and before she knew it, her door was closed and she was pressed against it.

Surprise quickly turned into desire as his lips danced against hers. He moved slightly, kissing her cheek, her neck, dragging his teeth against her ears as she cried out his name. His hands found their way under her shirt, the loose sweater allowing him to freely explore, to grip and clutch her back as she dragged her nails across the back of his neck.

His hands moved to her breasts, kneading and squeezing them as desire attacked her from all sides, clouding her judgment and thrusting her body into a prison of want and need so powerful that it hurt. She was throbbing against the thickness that she could feel through his jeans, through her shorts.

She thrust her hips forward, her heat rubbing against him, causing them both to cry out.

"Jesus," he breathed, lifting her and walking with her to the couch before laying her on the soft pillows and covering her with his own body. She reached down quickly toward the hem of his shirt before lifting it off him and throwing it to the floor. Her hands clawing at his firm chest, his hard abdomen.

He bent down again, peppering kisses against her jaw line, lifting her sweater and letting his mouth engulf her breasts, kneading and sucking each one until her need for him to be fully inside of her became too great.

"Darien, please," she cried, his tongue dancing against her belly button, edging dangerously close to where she needed it the most.

"Tell me what you want," he breathed, his hand flicking the button on her jean shorts and pulling down her zipper.

"I need you, please," she cried out, wriggling out of her pants and sweater before staring up at him, naked and hungry.

He had forgotten how beautiful she was, completely natural and nude, bathed in the afterglow of the dead of night. She reached up toward him, undoing his belt, rubbing her hands against his length until he whimpered and moaned. He pushed her hands away gently and quickly removed his remaining clothing until he was as nude as her.

He covered her hurriedly, his mouth latching onto hers, his tongue, warm and wet, delving deeply into her sweet mouth as he pinched her nipples and prodded her legs open, letting his fingers brush against her wet folds. He eased in one finger, then two, making sure she was wet and fully ready for him.

She sung his name as he pumped his fingers in and out of her in a steady movement, building a beautiful friction that felt amazing as it drove her closer to the edge.

She whimpered when he removed his appendages from her and replaced it with his tip, letting it rest at her soaked entrance. He looked at her before he moved, making sure that she was positive that she wanted to do this with him. When she reached up and kissed him fervently, he got his answer.

He plunged into her fully, his length completely swallowed by her core, her muscles gripping him tightly the moment they felt his penetration. She inhaled sharply, a small amount of pain shooting through her as he thrust into her completely. It had been so long since he had touched her like this.

His eyes fell upon hers, as he used one had for leverage against the couch and one had propping himself up near her head. He pulled out slowly until his tip tickled her entrance before thrusting in sharply, until they were joined completely. His movements were slow, controlled, deep. Her name fell off his lips until he was hoarse, until his omissions became harsh cries of complete delight and fulfillment.

She reached a new high beneath, her eyes watching him as he loved her. She loved the small amount of sweat that dappled his forehead, adored the way he said her name, relished in the hooded look of lust and satisfaction that marred his features with each thrust of his body.

Quickly she began to feel something budding inside her, taking her to new heights of pleasure as he relentlessly drove into her, the frustration and pure need to feel her apparent in his movements. Her orgasm claimed her quickly, and she cried out into his neck as she shuddered and gasped beneath him, her body engulfing him in an emission of warm liquid.

His body spammed soon after, filling her with his seed as he muttered her name loudly, pumping into her until his climax seized him and he collapsed atop her, their damp bodies trembling and tired. He lay above her quietly, listening to the rapid beat of her heart as she stroked his back, kissed his cheek, ran her hands through his hair.

Her breathing evened out and he knew exhaustion had claimed her. Removing himself from her couch, he cradled her into his arms and carried her into her bedroom, resting her on the surface and covering her body with his own. He listened to the silence until sleep carried him into a world without dreams.

* * *

Seiya groaned deeply, listening as the sounds of moaning and heavy breathing turned into sighs of contentment and light snoring. Perhaps bugging her apartment hadn't been one of his better plans; he never thought that he would actually have to listen to the two of them having sex.

His mouth was upturned in disgust; his innocent little fiancée, falling into the arms and fucking another man.

This little game had gone on long enough and Darien would regret the day he crawled into his fiancées bed and took what was rightfully his. He really hadn't wanted it to get this far, but they had brought this upon themselves.

Slowly he reached for the phone and dialed a familiar number waiting for someone to answer. _"Yes, Mr. Takagawa, sir?"_

"Do you remember what we previously discussed, today?" he asked, fingering the expensive letter opener on his desk, twirling it around his fingers.

"_Yes, sir, I do."_

"Good, do it. I want it done by tomorrow. And nothing too sloppy, Harper, I don't want it being traced back to me."

"_Consider done sir."_

Seiya hung up the phone gently, bring the letter opener into his grip and using is to poke at his nails, his eyes focused on the clock.

A lesson had to be learned and they would learn it the hard way.

Seiya Takagawa always got what he wanted.


	10. Chapter 9

Of Faux and Friends

Chapter 9

* * *

A/N: Another chapter, y'all. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review!

Rating: M (adult situations, language and mild violence)

* * *

She jammed the key into the ignition before turning it sharply, her body still as the engine roared to life. There was a gentle mist falling from the cloudy, early morning sky as she pulled out of the parking lot, the high beams of the silver BMW illuminating the striped concrete before her. Her heart was alive with worry, her hands quivering with fear, it was nearly five in the morning and she hadn't seen Darien all night.

He had stormed out of the apartment hours ago, mumbling to her about needing to fix something he had fucked up. It was such a loaded statement, so shrouded in mystery and secrecy, that she didn't know what he meant by it and thus had no idea where he had gone to.

She angled another corner, driving past the hospital, slamming on the breaks and entering the building, the events of that evening playing in her mind. Prior to last night they had come so far, Darien was asking her about the baby, taking her shopping, touching her stomach. He seemed honestly excited about the impending birth of _their_ child. But all of that seemed to change yesterday afternoon. He received a call from his lawyer friend, who was talking to him frantically over the phone. Lily could hear Raye's voice crescendo and descend as she relayed a message that she struggled to hear. Eventually Darien stepped onto the balcony, closed the door and continued his conversation in private.

Lily remembered feeling vulnerable and scared. What if somehow he found out about the baby? He would be furious with her, and all the planning and conniving would have gone to waste. More importantly, Seiya would kill her.

She looked around for someone, anyone that worked with Darien. After minutes of searching, she questioned, poked and prodded the hospital staff until she learned that Darien wouldn't be working again until Monday and that he hadn't been there all night. Was he enraged with her? Had he truly found out about her secret dealings with Seiya? Was he off hurt somewhere? She didn't know. But she wanted to find him, to explain herself _if _he knew, and to beg him not leave her if he didn't.

She racked her brain as she reclined into the car, strapping the seatbelt over her round belly before pulling out of the parking lot and heading eastward out of the city. Darien had mentioned offhandedly one day that he had a house in the hills of Azabu overlooking the city. It was the home where he had grown up as a child before his family died. It was sold shortly after their deaths and Darien bought it again once he gained complete control over his inheritance. He said he went there sometimes for the quiet; that he went there sometimes so think.

Pressing her feet against the gas, the car jolted forward, the engine working harder as she sped around another bin. The house was about forty miles out of the city. There was something in her gut driving her; something in her psyche that convinced her that Darien was lost to her forever. She didn't know if it was because of her deception or because of something else. But she was truly eager to find out for herself.

She bounded another corner, her eyes falling onto the rear view mirror, the high beams of the car behind her reflecting light across the looking glass. The car was speeding closer to her, the roar of the engine audible against the silence. Clicking her warning lights, she edged closer to the side of the road so that the passenger could pass her car. As the vehicle drew nearer, she honked once, twice, signaling for him to go around her BMW, but the pickup was persistently tailgating her as she skidded around the road. She rounded another corner, her eyes watching as the vehicle neared her, as the scenery changed. The trees that littered the ground to the right of her were blowing serenely against the light wind, the water's edge sparkling beneath the sunlight. She was about to pull over at the nearest turnaround to force the car to pass her, when the truck accelerated and smashed into the back of her silver car.

She jolted, her neck jerking painfully forward, causing her head to hit the steering wheel and bounce back. She swore loudly and craned her neck to the side, looked at the car and frowned when she noticed that window was tinted completely back, the face of the passenger hidden by obscurity. She veered for the turnabout when the truck accelerated again and slammed the body of her car so hard that she flew against the steering wheel and jerked back, her hands flailing into the air as the car spun to the right, swerved and tipped onto its side. Her head slammed painfully into the left window as the glass shattered cutting into her skull, the impact and pain clouding her vision as she struggled to stay conscious.

Her body flipped and folded, crumpled and bucked as it was the thrown about. The car continued flipping as it slammed roughly against the concrete before crashing into a winding oak tree that shook upon impact. And finally as the debris settled against the arbor, the road quieted, the engine died, the sea calmed and the world was silent.

* * *

He watched her sleeping, the morning rays of a freshly risen sun pouring past the curtains and painting her pale back a sunny yellow. His hand rested against her shoulder blade, long fingers drawing tiny circles against her back as she began to move and squirm beneath him. He rolled onto his back, his black shiny hair falling into his eyes as he peered at the woman next to him. He laid in wait as she sighed, moved her legs, slowly emerged from the world of dreams. Her eyes fluttered open, pale cerulean meeting midnight blue. She looked surprised to see him there; he watched quietly as her eyes swept up and down his body, her cheeks reddening when she realized he was completely nude and more importantly, that not one inch of him was covered by blanket.

"You're naked," she said, her voice a whisper; it was almost accusatory.

Darien chuckled and rolled over, propping his head up on his hand and staring at the blonde beauty. "So are you."

She frowned, pulled the covers just far enough from her body for her to realize that she too, was naked. "I thought last night was a dream," she mumbled, a pink flush against her cheeks.

"So you have sex dreams about me."

She sputtered. "I do not."

"Not one?" His eyebrow arched.

"Maybe one."

He chuckled, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her. What he wouldn't give to wake up like this with her every morning. "Then I hope the real thing was better than what you dream about."

She blushed harder. "It was." Slowly she pulled the covers tighter to her chest and glanced at the clock on her bedside table. She frowned; it was nearly noon and her flight would leave in a couple of hours. She needed to finish packing, she needed to get dressed, she needed to get away from Darien.

"So I take it by the look on your face that you're still going to go through with this?"

She turned toward Darien to find him frowning, the light hearted expression on his face replaced by anxiety and doubt. "I don't have a choice."

He sighed. "Yes, you do. Stay here, with me."

She rose up in bed, her back to him. "I signed a contract. If I don't follow through they'll fire me."

He mimicked her movement. "Serena is this what you really want? To be away from your family, your friends?"

She stared quietly at the blanket for a moment before picking at the fabric with her fingertips. "No," she muttered. "But what am I supposed to do? This is my _job_. I already sold my place. I have to leave."

"No you don't. You can come stay with me," he said desperately, trying to convince her to stay.

She rolled her eyes and looked at him like he had grown another head. "That's never going to happen. Your…your…that woman is staying there and I am _not_ sharing a space with her."

"Serena that was only temporary. I'm helping her get a place somewhere else," he said honestly.

"You're not going to live with her? But she's…"

"She's what?" he asked, rolling out of the bed and searching for his clothing. "My ex-girlfriend that I impregnated. That's it. We're not trying to rekindle old flames. At least I'm not."

"But she is?"

"She wants us to be a family," he said, bending down and picking up his boxers. "But I can't play house with her when I'm completely in love with you."

The sides of Serena's mouth twitched. "Did you tell _her _that?"

"I did," Darien said, pulling on his t-shirt. "Obviously she wasn't thrilled about it."

"Oh," she responded, looking down at her hands that were clutching the blanket. She sighed. "I have obligations, I can't just throw my life away because…"

"Because we love each other."

"When you say it like that it sounds inane, Darien. These are my last few hours here and I don't want to argue with you. And why are you putting your clothes back on?" she yelled.

He paused before dropping his jeans back onto the floor. "Does that mean you want me to take my clothes back off?"

"Stop looking so smug," she said, amused by the haughty expression on his face. "You're so full of yourself."

He grinned. "Last night you were full of me." Playfully he stalked toward her, her body shifting as he crawled onto the bed and stood on his knees before her.

"You have a dirty mouth Darien."

"I have a dirty mind too," he said, leaning forward and letting his lips dance against hers. Slowly he raised his hand to the blanket that covered her chest and eased the fabric off until it pooled around her waist, exposing her breasts to cool air. She sighed into his mouth when he began to knead her mounds with his hands, his fingertips sporadically brushing against and squeezing her nipple. "I don't want anyone else but you, Serena."

He leaned her back onto the bed before taking the sheets in his hand and pulling them away from her, exposing her nudity to him completely. Slowly he bent down, parted her thighs and let his fingers brush against her folds, poking and fingering the area until she started moaning his name.

"Darien, please," she begged, her hands gripping the sheets as he continued his gentle assault on her.

"Please, what?" He asked, slipping a finger inside of her, feeling the dampness of her tight center.

"Please…please…"she quieted. "What is that sound?"

For a moment Darien thought she was toying with him, until the look on her face changed from lust, to confusion and finally amusement. "Is that your cell phone?"

He looked into the room where his phone was vibrating and ringing atop the arm rest of the couch. He was about to move for it when Serena burst into laughter at the sound of the song playing in the other room. "Oh my god! Is that Corey Hart? I can't believe _that's _your ring tone. That song is like a million years old!"

Serena clutched her stomach as she laughed loudly. Her friends would never believe that their sophisticated Dr. Darien Chiba had Corey Hart's _Sunglasses at Night_ as his ring tone. Darien amusedly watched her roll across the bed laughing before moving toward the living room to silence the phone and get back to the more important task in the bedroom.

Quickly he grabbed for the device and was about to press ignore when the number on the colorful LCD screen caught his eye. It was someone from the emergency ward of the hospital calling him. They _never_ called him on his personal line; he had a pager for emergencies. Quickly he punched the receive button and pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked, his voice guarded.

"_Darien? It's Mary, where are you? You need to come to the hospital."_

"Any specific reason why you're calling me on my personal phone? I was kind of in the middle of something," he asked, looking into Serena's bedroom, his eyes meeting her own.

"_That's because this is a personal emergency. There was an accident…Lily…your…she was in a serious car accident Darien, they airlifted her here a couple of minutes ago. You need to get down here."_

Serena watched quietly, her hands suddenly damp as she watched Darien's expression metamorphose from slightly annoyed to horrified. All the color had drained from his face, and his eyes, they held the most painful expression she had ever seen. Quickly she rolled from the bed, searched through her drawers for any remaining clothes before pulling out her undergarments, a plain white tank top and dark wash denim jeans.

"Is she okay? Is the baby okay?" he asked, his body collapsing against the arm chair, his hand shaky over his chest.

"_I don't know the details. They took her into emergency surgery…just come down here now," Mary said, her voice strained. _There was something she wasn't telling him.

With trembling hands he hung up the phone before rushing into Serena's bedroom and throwing his jeans over his hips. "What happened? Darien what's wrong?"

"Lily was in a car accident this morning, they said…I don't think she's doing well," he said, his voice cracking.

Her stomach dropped. "And the baby?"

He looked up at her and shook his head. "I don't know. I don't know anything…Mary, she wouldn't tell me," he said, his eyes dampening.

Serena ached to see to him this way; other than the night that he had opened up to her about his past, she had never seen him look so small, so vulnerable, so scared. She glanced back at the clock. It was nearing one; she only had a few hours until her flight left for London. If she went with Darien to the hospital now, she probably wouldn't make it to the airport on time. She closed her eyes for a moment, considering, wondering if she was willing to give up her career, everything, for the man in front of her. He had walked into the living room, he was fastening his shoes, his eyes were drooping, his hands shaking, his breath seemed like it was coming in short bursts. Slowly he looked up to her and her heart broke from the pain behind his eyes and she could she what he was asking without words, the silent plea so loud that it arrowed her heart so painfully she felt like her body would burst. He needed her, he needed her and she knew it.

Swallowing hard she grabbed her purse and keys and returned to the living room, her effects stuck idly under her arm, determination marring her features. "Okay, let's go."

He looked surprised. He stood erect for a moment, still and unmoving. "If you come with me, you'll miss your flight."

She nodded. "I know."

"Serena…"

"It's okay. How can I leave you at a time like this? I'll…call or something, it'll all work out. I love you and you need me right now. So, I'm going with you."

He was floored by her generosity, her strength. He was a fool and a coward and he didn't deserve her. He knew that; but here she was willing to give up her job just to be with him because he was so weak right now. He opened his mouth to argue with her, to tell her to leave, that he would be fine, but he couldn't find his voice to speak. And when she neared him and laced her fingers with his own, he felt like he was on the verge of collapse, from worry, from shock, from gratitude.

She leaned in and kissed his cheek, offering him a small but beautiful smile. "Thank you…I won't…I'll make you happy," Darien said, shoving his wallet into his pocket and grabbing her hand.

Slowly she pulled him toward the door, exited the room to begin the silent trek down the building corridor, both them of the fearing the news the future would bring.

* * *

His hands smelled distinctly of hospital soap and perfume. His head had been resting in his palms for so long that he was anxious to identify the smell that was permeating his nostrils. The soap he knew was from the bathroom in the waiting room on the first floor of the emergency clinic at Azabu General. The perfume, that was from the blonde that was sitting next to him, her hand connected to his, her head against his shoulder. He lifted his face from his palms and turned his head toward hers before letting his lips brush against her forehead. He looked to the clock on the wall again, and then to the watch on his wrist.

He watched the families wait beside him, some of them sleeping, some of them crying; there was a shadow of somberness bathing the room in darkness, and it was overwhelming. How many times had he walked out to a waiting mother or father to tell them that their child had died? How many times had he told a wife that her husband wouldn't make it? It felt so strange for him to be on the other side. Doctor or not, no one on staff knew exactly what had happened to Lily, only that she had been in emergency surgery for nearly an hour and that she had been bleeding to death on the side of the road until someone came across her car and called the police. He wondered what the hell she was doing around those cliffs in the first place. That street led to several private roads where houses lay against the hills of Azabu.

If was a funny thing how life worked out sometimes, and by funny, he meant in the ironic sort of way. That expanse of road that Lily had been driving, where EMS had said they found his car wrapped around a tree, that had been the same road that claimed the lives of his parents and stole his memory from him. So, funny, you know, in a dark sort of way.

Serena seemed to be thinking along the same lines, but for very different reasons. Things were finally starting to look up for her, for them. Except for the fact that they were waiting in the hospital room for bad news; except for the fact that she had forgotten that she was engaged to another man. Yeah, funny.

He listened quietly to the conversations passing around the room and when he looked up he could see Andrew nearing him, a grim expression on his face. He had been friends with Andrew for what, nearly fifteen years? He knew that look on his face; he'd seen it many times before when he was delivering devastating news to unsuspecting families.

Immediately Darien and Serena stood up as the blonde doctor neared him, a notepad tucked beneath his arm. He sighed. "Lily is stable, for now, she had a severe concussion, two fractured ribs, and small pneumothoraces of the lung. Her chest was punctured in the accident but so far there are no signs of internal bleeding. With enough rest, she should be fine, eventually, but we're going to keep her for the next few days, just to make sure she keeps breathing properly."

Darien nodded gently, and looked to Serena who had a very confused expression on her face. "And the baby?"

Andrew sighed again; this was probably the only part of his job that he hated. "I'm sorry Darien, she miscarried before we even made it to the hospital."

He stood still for a moment, processing Andrew's words as the world crumbled around him. He could feel Serena stroking his back before turning to face him and enveloping him in a tight hug. He remembered that she smelled like vanilla and shampoo and that her neck was wet. He distinctly remembered wondering why her neck was sweating, when he realized that the moisture was because of him; he was crying, crying against her shoulder in the middle of the emergency clinic.

He pulled away from her, wiping his eyes, glancing at the ground and then at Andrew. He felt queasy. "Do you know?" His voice was hoarse.

"Do I know what?" the blonde asked, his heart hurting at the sight of his friend.

"What the baby is…was…she was six months almost-"

"I don't really think-"

"I can ask someone else," Darien said, his voice gruff and angry.

Andrew sighed, before pinching the bridge of his nose. "It was a boy, Dare. I'm sorry."

Serena looked to the brunette whose face was masked with stoicism, guilt. She touched his arm, spoke to him, but he didn't move, he just stood there staring at the ground, his voice stolen by grief.

"She'll probably wake up soon," said Andrew, "you should be there. The Dr. Forrester will tell her…about the baby…but you should be there with her."

He looked to Serena who nodded. "Go, be with her. I'll wait here until you're done." He hesitated. "I'm not going to leave. I promise."

He nodded to her before following Andrew who led him down the hall, patting his back gently as they walked, side by side.

She couldn't believe this. Her heart was heavy with shame. She had wanted Lily and the baby out of Darien's life, but never like this. All the selfish, bad thoughts she'd had about the girl were haunting her now. She put her head in her hands.

One thing was sure, Darien would never be the same after this. She probably should have left for London when she had the chance.

* * *

"How is she?" asked Seiya, his leather covered hands clutching the cell phone to his ear as he sped down the street towards Azabu General.

"_Stable. She'll survive, if that's what you're asking," responded the man on the other end of the line. He sounded uncomfortable._

"Don't sound so worried, Forrester, I'll cover your ass if anything happens."

"_I could lose my licensing for this. And I happen to be good friends with Chiba. He's a good kid, he doesn't deserve this."_

"I'm not paying you thousands to grow a conscious. How's her…progeny?"

"_Gone."_

"Good."

"_Good, she just came out of emergency surgery and her baby is dead. How can that be good?"_

"Good that _she's _still alive. This all part of the plan. Call me when she's conscious. She and I need to have a little chat."

Seiya smirked before folding the cell phone closed and tossing it onto the empty passenger side.

_All part of the plan._

* * *

_Please Review_


	11. Chapter 10

Of Faux and Friends

Chapter 10

* * *

A/n: Sometimes I amaze myself…just kidding. So I am done with this. The manuscript is completely finished. I just need to edit each chapter because right now it's just one big text file. I'll be publishing one chapter everyday till it's done. Now on to finish _Bait_ _and Switch_ and start the outline for the possible sequel I'm dreaming up for _Moriari_. As always enjoy and review.

* * *

He watched her, the paleness of her face, the pristine, clear tears that fell from her eyes onto trembling hands that rested idly in her lap, the pallid reflection of her flesh apparent against the pale blue hospital gown. How many times had he been the harbinger of sad news? How many times had he told a woman about the death of her unborn baby? How many times had he told his patients that they may never be able to conceive again? It was a strange thing to be on the other side.

"I can't believe this," she croaked, her voice dry and low. Emerald green eyes lifted to meet his face. "How could this happen, Darien? I can't believe he's gone." Her hands fell to caress her empty womb.

He searched for the right words to say; words of comfort, sentiments of trite condolences. "I don't know," he said grimly. It was all he could say.

She frowned, olive eyes tightening to smaller slits. "Is that all you have to say?" Her voice was suddenly strong with anger, her hands gripping the sheets like a vice.

He sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and looked to her. "I don't know what else to say."

She exhaled. "I went _looking_ for you. I went looking for you, because I was worried and now our baby is dead!"

Darien's face remained a mask of stoicism, his lips, a thin line of unfeeling disdain. "I'm sorry-"

"You're not sorry! You never even wanted this baby in the first place!"

"I _never_ wanted this baby to die! You shouldn't even be implying that."

Lily laughed, a bitter chuckle lacking mirth, lacking joy. "I'm sure a part of you is thrilled. You get to go on with your life with Serena. You don't have any obligation to me anymore. I'm surprised you're even still sitting here."

Darien scowled at her. She was in physical pain and emotional turmoil; part of him knew she didn't mean what she was saying, yet her words stung nonetheless. "You're not the only one who lost their baby today, Lily. This may not have been an ideal situation, but you have no idea how I felt about our son."

"Of course I don't! You never talked to me! Whenever I was around all you did was sit around and brood and pine over _her_!"

"What the hell did you want from me? I was handling things the best way I knew how! Two months ago my life did a complete one-eighty. I might not have been overjoyed, but I gave you everything you needed."

"Everything I needed but nothing I wanted. You don't care about me!"

"I wouldn't be sitting here right now if I didn't care about you!"

Lily sniffled, lifting her hand to wipe the tears from her cheek. "All I wanted was a family. With the man that I _loved_. Things weren't supposed to turn out this way."

Darien sighed. "Lily, we would have never been the family that you wanted. I cant…I can't give you what you want. You need to find someone that can."

She chuckled, her features ridden with disgust. "So that's it then? We're completely done and you're going to leave me to fend for myself?"

He shook his head. "I never said that. I'll be here for as long as you need me."

"My baby is dead because of you. I deserve more than that."

His eyes narrowed. "What aren't you saying?"

"I lost everything to come out here to be with you. My job, my home, now my child…I have nothing. You owe it to me to give me another chance."

"I'm sorry that our son is gone, I truly am," Darien began, standing up. "I'm I'm sorry that you made a rash decision to completely put your life on hold to come here and intrude on mine without as much as calling me. I never, _never_, hoped for anything bad to happen to you or our baby, but I can't give you want you want Lily! Don't make this harder than it has to be. I'll be there for you, financially, platonically, but I can't give you some fairytale life that will never exist for us."

"Get out," she snarled, her face riddled with tears. "I said GET OUT!"

"Fine," Darien said. "I'll be back tomorrow. I'm not going to let you go through this alone. I mean that."

* * *

Serena glanced at him again, her eyes falling back to the road, her fingers tight around the leather steering wheel as she pushed on the brakes. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts at the red light, her eyes once again focused on Darien. He hadn't said anything after visiting Lily; just grabbed her by the hand and led her to the car.

"Stupid question, but are you doing alright?" She couldn't stomach the silence.

"Yeah," he grunted. His eyes straight ahead on the road, his arms resting idly at his sides. She sighed quietly, pressing gently on the gas as the light turned green. "No. I don't know. She blames me, for the baby dying."

Serena glanced at him briefly. "She shouldn't…you were with me. If I would have just stood my ground and stayed away from you-"

"I came to you, remember? You have nothing to do with this."

"I have everything to do with this. If I would have just told you to go home, maybe she wouldn't have gone out that night. If I wouldn't have-"

"What? Let me make love to you? Give me something that I've wanted, needed from you for such a long time?" He turned to face her. "Please, this has nothing to do you. Lily made a choice to go out and find me. I hate what's happened because of it, but neither of us can sit here and take the blame for what happened. It was a needless accident and the baby paid for it. But I can't sit around letting myself worry about something I never had any control over."

Serena nodded silently before making a sharp left and halting the car after pulling into the parking stall. They sat in silence for a moment until Serena reached for the ignition and turned off the motor. "What are you going to do now?" she asked him.

"What do you mean?"

She looked at him sadly. "I'm sure…she needs you to be there with her-"

"And you have a new life waiting for you in London. What are _we_ going to do?"

The question to her was more rhetorical than anything. She had obligations; legal obligations that could result in her getting fired. Her flight left seven hours ago and she wasn't on it. Eventually someone from her office would be calling asking where the hell she was and why she missed her flight. She wanted, more than anything, for him to offer to move in with her. But Darien was a man of valor; he wasn't going to be cavalier in regards to Lily. He would need to be there, he would need to mourn.

Carefully she stepped out of her vehicle, listening as Darien followed suit. She felt trapped in a haze as she walked with him towards the elevator. It was as though her mind wasn't working and only her feet knew where to go. Golden elevator doors slid open, the melancholy sound of a somber jazz ballad wafted quietly from the speakers above them as they stepped inside, watching the door close.

Her trembling fingers pressed the dimly illuminated number seven as the elevator rumbled to life, gliding up floor after floor until a familiar chime whistled against the quiet. Slowly they stepped out, their steps side by side, even in pace and stride as fumbling fingers reached for the keys in her bright yellow leather Balenciaga purse. The keys jingled a tune that feigned happiness until being thrust into the keyhole; the door opened with a silent sweep.

Walking into her nearly empty apartment reminded her of what realities laid before them. A majority of her clothing and shoes had already been shipped to the loft in downtown London that was supposed to be new home. Her lease was set to expire in less than two weeks; Monday was supposed her first day of work.

Lethargically she removed her shoes and tossed them into the empty corner, ignoring Darien as he threw his jacket onto the couch. She could feel his eyes on her, but she was too exhausted to say anything. They had spent half the day waiting in the hospital and because of his impromptu visit and their love making, she hadn't had the opportunity to get much sleep.

Quickly she traipsed into her bedroom and plopped onto the unmade bed, her body resting against the down mattress, her eyes fluttering closed.

"What's that?" asked Darien, after entering the room, his eyes falling onto the bedside table nearest the window.

"What's what?" she asked her, eyes still closed.

"That giant diamond ring on your nightstand?"

Immediately her eyes shot open. _Seiya_. With the on goings of the last twenty four hours she had forgotten about her proposal from Seiya and had subsequently forgotten that for a moment, she had said yes. By the time she and Darien had made it to her couch last night the ring had turned inward on her finger and she had been so busy gripping and clawing at his back that he hadn't even seen that it was there. Sometime during the middle of the night she must have taken it off and laid it on the table beside her before going to sleep.

Slowly she raised herself into a sitting position, watching the stern yet confused expression on Darien's face. "I can explain."

"Don't tell me that's what I think it is."

"I thought you and I were over."

"So you got engaged? To _Seiya_?"

"I…I know…it was dumb and I didn't really mean it, I don't know. I wasn't thinking, I was…sad and confused and depressed. And I was leaving, I didn't think…I don't even know if I would have gone through with it. Please don't me mad."

Darien looked at her sharply; his mouth agape. "I…I'm surprised. I'm not mad. Up until yesterday I had no claim on you. Things were complicated…I had a baby on the way, and now you have a fiancée."

Serena sighed. "Kind of a fiancée."

"Serena he gave you a wedding ring. He's your fiancée. I suppose last night doesn't matter much anyway. You have a responsibility to your job. Somewhere thousands of miles away from here."

"And you're responsible for Lily. Pregnant or not. She's hurting now and is going to need you."

Darien paused for a moment before walking towards her and sitting down beside her on the bed. "If we didn't have any other responsibilities to other things, other people, where would you and I be?"

Serena smiled softly. That answer was easy. "I would be with you, London, New York, Japan. I don't care where we were. As long as I was with you, I'd be okay."

He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "If I have learned anything from the mistake I made when I left you, is that you can't go back. Things don't always turn out the way you want them to and if you don't seize the day now, if you don't go after what you want, then one day you'll turn around and everything that you've wanted is gone. The only thing I want right now is you. Everything else can wait."

Serena leaned her head onto his shoulder and sighed, wishing life could be just a little easier.

* * *

"You can't be serious," said Seiya, his nostrils flaring with anger. He couldn't believe this was happening.

"Take it back," said Serena, her outstretched arm pressed toward him, a large diamond ring sparkling the middle of her palm.

"Why? What suddenly changed?" asked Seiya, feigning ignorance. Darien Chiba fucking her on her couch changed everything.

"I should have never said yes to begin with. This is a mistake. You and I are a mistake."

"Since when?"

"Since always."

"Funny that you never thought so until Chiba came back into your life."

"Seiya please, it's been a long day and I'm tired. I don't want to fight."

"If you're going to walk out on me, at least have the balls to be honest and up front about it. Is this because of Darien or not?"

She frowned after a moment. "What do you want me to say?" Of course this was about Darien. He'd left shortly after their conversation. She didn't promise him anything; in fact she told him she needed time to think. Wanting to be with him was a no-brainer. But she wouldn't just have to be breaking up with Seiya, she would be throwing her career away. If she reneged on her contract with Vogue London they would dismiss her; she couldn't go back to her old job because the position had already been filled. In the back of her mind she knew wholeheartedly that Darien would take care of her financially. But money wasn't the issue here. She had been working her ass off since college to get where she was today. Did she really want to throw it all away? But Seiya, breaking things off with him was a no brainer. Darien or not, London or not, she needed him out of her life.

"Part of this is about Darien, but another part of this is about me. You're not good for me Seiya. You and I aren't good together. We want different things out of life, we have nothing in common and I wouldn't be happy as your wife. I wasn't even happy as your girlfriend."

"And you realized all of this now?"

"No. I've known this from the beginning. But loneliness altars your way of thinking."

"So I was just something to occupy your time then?" he asked, his voice even. Behind the tranquil façade, Seiya was seething inside.

"Don't put words in my mouth. That's not what I meant."

"Fine," he said, snatching the ring from her hands. "I'm not going to beg you to stay with me. I hope you and the good old doctor are happy. But if there is one thing I can promise, Serena, it's that you're going to regret this."

She watched in silence as he walked towards the door and then out of it, a shiver of fear ripping through her. She wasn't sure if he meant breaking up with him because of what she was missing out on or something much more sinister.

With Seiya, it was _always _hard to tell.

* * *

"The insurance company called," said Darien, as sat down opposite Lily, a bag of toiletries one hand. "They said somehow you managed to wrap my BMW around a tree."

Lily frowned. "I'll pay the deductible-"

"That's not why I'm bringing this up," he said, setting the small bag on the bed beside her.

"Then why?" she asked heatedly. She was still obviously upset about him choosing Serena over her.

"What exactly do you remember from that night?" asked Darien.

"Why? I lost control of the car…I mean there was an asshole tailgating me. But all I can remember is smashing into the tree and then waking up here. Why? Something you're not telling me?"

"No. But there was black paint all over the bumper of the steering wheel and signs of impact from the rear. The police are talking about investigating. Are you sure there's nothing you can remember?"

Lily frowned. She was still recovering from major surgery and everything that night had happened so fast that she could barely recall what she had divulged to the insurance company over the phone. "I don't…I can't remember," she said. Sudden pictures flashed through her mind, the sound of an engine rumbling, the feeling of the truck slamming into her from behind, the black tinted windows. "Wait…there was a truck. I don't know what color it was, it was dark and that road barely had any street lights. I remember him tailing me and hitting me a couple of times. I don't…I don't remember what happened after that."

Darien frowned. Had someone intentionally driven her off the road? What wasn't she telling him? "Lily, is it possible that someone would want you dead?"

Inwardly she panicked. "Why would anyone want me dead? I don't know anyone out here Darien. Why would some stranger want to kill me?" she asked, trying to sound calm but her heart was aflutter with panic. Something stuck in her mind about the last conversation she'd had with Seiya. He asked her how far she was willing to go for Darien. Had he done this? Had he organized a hit on her? And if so, why would he want her dead.

"Lily? I need you to calm down," said Darien. "Your blood pressure is rising." Carefully he monitored the machines.

"Sorry, no…I'm fine. Just the thought of someone wanting to kill me-"

"Don't worry. You said it yourself, who do you know in Tokyo that would want you dead?" She smiled nervously at him. "I talked to your doctor today. He said you'll be discharged over the next couple of days but because of the extent of your injuries, you're going to need someone with you as much as possible. Considering your predicament, I think it's best if we keep living together."

"What?" she asked, her eyes wide with shock.

"I meant what I said. I'm not going to just leave you to fend for yourself out here. I'm not going to leave you alone during all of this. As soon as you're well enough to leave the hospital, I'll take you home and we'll handle things from there. The pneumothoraces on your lungs are small enough that they won't need treatment and your ribs won't be wrapped and will heal slowly on their own. It shouldn't be long before you're out of here."

Lily nodded. "Does Serena know about this?"

Darien's eyes narrowed. "Yes, she does."

"I guess it doesn't matter now, since she's going to London," she said pointedly staring at Darien for a response. She rolled her eyes when he offered none. "She is going to London right?"

"I don't know," he said honestly.

"You don't know?" she asked, her voice heavy with suspicion.

"No. I don't. She said she needed time to think."

"Think about what?"

"Going to London and living her dream in the career she's always wanted or staying here and living her dream of being with me."

"She said that?"

"She said that," Darien responded.

"And what if she decides to leave? What then?"

"I don't know."

"Will we ever have a chance again? I can make you just as happy as she does."

Darien doubted that. "Let's take things one day at a time okay?" He didn't have the heart to crush her spirit even more. She had already lost so much.

* * *

He kissed her, his lips moving over hers softly as he pulled her into his body, her breasts pressing into his white lab coat, her hands tangling in his hair. It had been nearly a day since he'd seen her, since he'd felt her against him. Her fingers scraped against his chest as she moved them downward, her fingernails flicking his nipples on the way down; he nearly came undone.

"What was that for?" asked Darien after she untangled herself from him to let him into her apartment.

"Do I need a reason?" she asked, closing the door behind him.

"Never. Is everything ok?" he asked, removing his coat. "You said it was important. I figured that means you made a decision."

"Yup."

Darien turned to face her. "So what's the verdict?"

She paused for a moment watching as vestiges of fear and hope flashed across his face. "Gianna Giuseppe is not too happy with me right now."

"Who?"

"The lady who was supposed to be my boss."

"Supposed to be?" he asked, his voice rising.

"Yeah, I called…relinquished my position. I'm not going to London."

"Are you serious?"

"Is the Pope a Catholic?"

Darien chuckled at her sarcasm. "Are you sure about this?"

"No…but I already made my choice. I've been away from you for too long. Fashion will always be there, but I don't know how long I'll have to be with you."

Darien was moved by her words, she had given up her passion to be with him. She had quit her job for him, turned her entire life around for him. For that he would forever be grateful. He rushed toward her, pulling her body into his before leaning his head in capturing her lips into a kiss. She giggled as he lifted her into the air and spun her around.

"Oh and one other very important fact…I broke off my engagement with Seiya."

"Did you now?" he said, putting her down and smiling at her, his eyes twinkling with love. "How did he take it?"

"How do you think?"

"Did he throw a hissy fit?"

"Basically."

"Make some speech?"

"You know it."

"Threaten you?"

Serena paused. "Maybe." She turned to look at Darien who was no longer smiling. "I said maybe…I don't know, it might be nothing."

"What exactly did he say?

"He said I'd regret it. But that could mean anything."

"We're talking about Seiya though."

"We've broken up a million times and every single time he'd tell me I'd regret it."

"Yes, but that was before I came into the picture and we both know he's not happy that I'm back in your life. I'm basically the Montague to Capulet."

"Are you seriously comparing our little love triangle to Romeo and Juliet? It's not that dramatic," said Serena grinning.

"It's dramatic enough."

"But not in a Shakespearean way, it's like not anybody is going to die," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his nose.

"You seem deliriously happy for someone who just quit their job, you know."

"I know. I don't think it's hit me yet. I think you may have to help me keep my mind off things."

"And how can I do that?" he asked, huskily.

"I don't know, use your imagination," said Serena, giggling.

"I don't know, I have a pretty dirty imagination."

"Well then I can't possibly imagine what you're imagining. You may have to show me," she said closing her eyes as Darien kissed down her neck. He lifted her against him until her legs were wrapped securely around his waist, his erection pushing into her. "But I can already tell that you're up for the challenge."

* * *

For three days she sat and waited, paranoia seeping in and poisoning her mind. For three days she had waited until she felt strong and composed enough to confront Seiya. Three days before being discharged from hospital. Three days until Darien's watchful eye was no longer upon her. When he said he was going out today she knew what he meant. She was going to see his precious Serena. His evenings were spent with her, making sure she was comfortable and is as little pain as possible, but his mind was elsewhere. His mind seemed to be always on Serena.

Shaking her head slightly she banished all those thoughts away. Limping slowly she trudged to the elevator, ignoring the stares from the people passing through the upscale lobby of the building where Seiya's penthouse was. She gripped the walls of the elevator roughly, the pain in her chest amplified by the all consuming fear that was flowing through her like the tide of an angry river. Just a few more steps and she would be there, with him.

Peering down until the elevator doors opened she pushed past them, walking past the butler, the night maid, the Master Sommelier, past the chef until she burst into Seiya's office, the smoke from the Cuban cigar he was puffing at burning her already injured lungs.

"I suppose it was only a matter of time before you came here," he said, turning his neck to look at the gasping woman. Slowly he placed down the goblet of Merlot, the burgundy liquid gently sloshing as he sat it down onto the counter next to the smoking cigar. "You look horrendous."

"You did this didn't you? You did this to me! To my baby!"

"Yes-"

"Don't lie to me-"

"Who's lying?"

"How dare you try to cover up-"

"Clearly you're not listening to me Lillian. Yes, I issued a hit on you and yes, I am the reason your bastard child is dead. Anymore questions?"

She wretched, a dry heaving deep inside her, as she sobbed, a lone cry escaping her mouth. She gripped her empty womb, her free hands grasping the headrest of the red leather arm chair beside her. Shaky legs pulled her forward as she staggered into the chair, tears flowing freely down her face.

"Why? WHY?"

"Why do you think?"

"What?"

"Where are you now?"

"What?"

"Not so responsive are we?"

"What are you saying?" she screamed.

"Are you living with him or not?"

"Yes. I am."

"And what transpired between the two of you today?"

"He...he brought be breakfast in bed, he ran a bath for me in the morning, came home during his lunch break with food for me, made me dinner-"

"Well there now, you see…things are going swimmingly between the two of you now. And I'd say he's treating you much better than he was before, wouldn't you say? I think you've gotten exactly what you wanted."

Lily looked at him, horrified by what he was implying. "What I wanted? My baby is dead! Dead, Seiya! And Darien is only being so nice to me because he feel s guilty and he pities me. He's not in love with me, we're not a family! THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANTED," she screamed.

"Well you weren't doing a very good job pitching the idea of a family to him. He clearly wasn't interested in that."

"How could you do this?"

"Lily, come now, you had to have known this wouldn't have been a happy ending for you. You were carrying another man's baby and passing it off as Darien's. So not only did you cheat on him with another man during your courtship, you were impregnated by said man and then you tried to convince your ex, who wanted nothing to do with you, that the baby was his. Now let me remind you that your little stud on the side, what was his name? Mitchell,right? Mitchell looked nothing like Darien, as a matter of fact, he couldn't have looked less like Dr. Chiba. So what would have happened, on that glorious day, when your baby came out looking completely like someone else? He's a doctor for Christ's sake; he's not a fool Lily. He would have figured it out eventually. I spared you his hatred. Instead of being pissed at you, he's practically at your beck and call. Not a happy ending, but a better one than you might have had."

She looked at him, shock reigning on her face. "That doesn't change the fact that my son is dead. _My son_."

"I know…pity too. But you're uterus is completely fine. Good luck making another one."

"I cant…I can't believe you'd do this. I could have died."

"And that would have backfired, let me tell you. But you didn't. You'll survive."

"You're a psychopath. I should go to the police and tell them what you've done. You don't deserve to be sitting up here in your mansion with all of these things after the terrible things you've done to me."

"Are you threatening me?" he asked, his eyes alight with malice.

"What if I am?"

Seiya smiled. "Then you've just made an enemy out of the wrong person, Lillian."


	12. Chapter 11

Of Faux and Friends

Chapter 11

* * *

Darien pressed the doors closed before tossing the keys on the couch and removing his button up shirt and tie. He'd had the longest day in the history of the world; two emergency surgeries on top of pre-assigned appointments and two hours spent training the new interns had left him with a pounding headache. All he could think of was taking off his clothes, taking a shower and calling his girlfriend. It had been three days since she had decided to give up London for him and things had never been better. Sure, he was forced to spend a majority of his time with Lily and Serena was spending hours on the phone trying to sell her loft in London, have her things shipped back to Tokyo, resigning her lease agreement and groveling to her former boss Madison Blake for a job. Despite the ups and downs of the last few days, neither of them would have any other way. They finally had each other, and that was all that mattered.

"Lily?" called Darien, peering down the hall into the furthest bedroom. She was usually asleep when he first got home. The vicodin kept her unconscious most of the day. But tonight the light was on and he could vaguely hear sounds from the television. Slowly he padded toward the room, kicking his shoes off as he edged closer to her bedroom door. Slowly he pressed open the door and was taken aback by what he saw. Sitting on the bed, was Lily, her eyes bloodshot, her lips swollen, a shallow cut on her left wrist. "What the fuck?"

Quickly he ran into the linen closet opposite the second bath room and grabbed two hand towels and a first aid kit. He kneeled beside and pressed a towel over the wound, putting pressure on it to keep the blood from flowing. There wasn't enough blood to kill her; the cut had barely broken the skin.

"What were you thinking?" he whispered, looking up into her blank face as he reached into the kit and pulled out a spray bottle. The stinging of the disinfectant hitting her skin knocked her back into reality and she flinched. "Why did you do this?"

She sniffled. "Our baby is dead and it's all my fault…I did this."

"Lily, you were in a car accident," he said soothingly. "This is absolutely not your fault."

She sobbed loudly, wiping her face with her uninjured arm. Poor, Darien. He had no idea. "I just…I want this all to be over…I'm so sad and so tired…I loved my son and he's gone and it's all my fault. I just want it to be over."

Darien felt for her. She had so much guilt, so much pain. He didn't know what he could say to help. "I'm not going to pretend that I know what you're going through but this," he said, gesturing to her wrist, "is not the answer, Lily. Bad things happen, innocent people get hurt, but every day it will get a little bit easier. Don't give up yet."

She cried softly into her free hand, mumbling phrases that Darien couldn't understand. "Look, I'm going to prescribe you some Setraline Hydrochloride, it's a mild anti-depressant. I'm also going to refer you to a therapist. I'll call the pharmacy tonight and pick up your prescription tomorrow. I'll call in sick and spend the day with you. We can get through this Lily. You're not alone, okay?"

She nodded quickly and placed her hand over Darien's. "Thanks…I don't deserve this…I don't deserve you."

He frowned. "Don't talk like that. Now hold this and press hard okay," he said, moving his hand away from the wound and pressing her palm into the towel. "I'll clean it again and bandage it in a minute."

He walked away slowly before digging into the pocket of his pants for his cell phone. He pressed a number on the speed dial and waited.

"_Azabu General Pharmacy, this is Clarissa, how can I help you?"_

"Claire it's Darien."

"_Oh, hi Dr. Chiba. Didn't you already leave today?"_

"Yes, I did, listen I need to you to put in a prescription for me: Setraline Hydrocholride. A thirty day supply."

"_You got it Dr. C. What's the patient's name?"_

"Lillian Mardot."

Clarissa paused_. "Of course, Dr. Chiba. Dr. Forrester is treating her so I'll have to clear it with him first, but I'm sure he'll approve. I'll have it ready by eight tomorrow morning."_

"Thanks, Claire."

"_You're welcome, Doctor. Good night," _she said, placing the phone onto the receiver and holding prescription request form in her hand. Slowly she placed the slip of paper in her pocket and walked past the pharmacy down towards internal medicine, her white, rubbery shoes silent against the spotless hospital floors. She knocked quietly once she reached her destination. "Dr. Forrester, may I come in?"

"Come in," he said, swiveling around in his chair to meet the gaze of the young pretty red head. "How are you Claire?"

"Doing well, Doctor."

"How's the baby?"

"Oh, you know, up all night, up all day, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

He chuckled. "Of course not. What can I do for you?"

"Dr. Chiba called, he wants me to put in a prescription for anti-depressants for Lillian Mardot. I need you to sign off on it."

Dr. Forrester's lip twitched. "Of course. He wants it soon I expect?" asked Dr. Richard Forrester. Claire nodded. "Well I'll go and take care it for you. You get home to that darling daughter of yours."

Claire beamed. "Are you sure?"

"Yep, have a good night Claire."

"Thanks Dr. F," she said, prancing from the room and closing the door behind her.

Richard smirked before reaching for the phone and dialing a familiar number.

"_I thought I told you never to call me here. It's late,"_ said Seiya's irritated voice.

"I know that, but you told me that Ms. Mardot is becoming quite the headache. I think I may have a way for us to get rid of her and Darien Chiba."

Seiya smirked. _"I'm intrigued. Go on."_

"Nothing fancy, just a game of switch-a-roo."

Seiya laughed. _"Do whatever you have to do."_

"I trust I'll be compensated for the cyanide I'm going to put with those pills…and the labor."

"_Cyanide. That's nice, doctor. You call me when you hand those pills off and I'll wire five million into your offshore account. By the end of this partnership you may be able to retire a wealthy man by fifty."_

Richard smiled. "That's the idea, Mr. Takagawa," he said, starting at the small piece of paper. "That's the idea."

* * *

"I take it things aren't going as well as you would have hoped," said Darien, his soft fingers caressing her shoulder. The blonde lifted her head from her hands to face him.

"No, not really. I thought I'd be able to get my same position back somewhere but every magazine has a Fashion Director right now. I don't know what I'm going to do. Without proof that I'm rehired my landlord won't let me resign the lease and without a job I won't even be able to pay the rent."

Darien sat beside her and kissed her cheek. "Serena, you gave up your career for me, you think I'm just going to sit back and let everything fall apart? It'll all be fine, I'll handle things. Besides, I have a proposition for you."

"A proposition?" she asked, her right eyebrow arched.

"Things have been crazy lately with me, with Lily, the hospital, and I don't get to see you as much as I would like. I won't be able to move with you immediately because of Lily, but I want us to go find a place…together."

"You want me to move in with you?"

"Yes, I do."

"What about your place?"

"I'm going to let Lily live in it. The penthouse is paid for. Once she gets better it'll be good for her to have a place of her own since she's adamant about staying in Japan," he said, grabbing her hand. "So what do you say?"

"What do I say? The man that I love wants us to live together! Let me think about it," she said, feigning pause. "Yes! Of course I'll move in with you."

Darien laughed as she threw her arms around his neck and peppered his face with soft kisses. "Good, because I already called my realtor. I figured we could start looking in the Lakeshore district."

"Lakeshore? That's all houses."

"As I recall, you've wanted to live there since you were sixteen."

"You remember that?"

"Yep. I remember you coming into the Crown Arcade gushing to the girls about how you went to tutor a girl who lived there in English and that you 'would just die if you could ever afford a house out there,'" said Darien, his voice rising as he playfully mocked her tone.

She laughed loudly, punching him gently in the arm. "I did not sound like that."

"Yes, you did. You used to sound like Brittney from the Chippettes!"

"Whatever," she said chuckling. "Those are mansions out there; do we need a house that big?"

"Maybe not now, I'm sure one day they'll be filled you and me and our children. I bet we'll end up with about two or three dogs too."

She giggled. "I've always wanted a dog; a Pomeranian, and a beagle and a husky and-"

"See, my point exactly," he said looking at her affectionately. "I'm just ready to start my life with you. I don't want to wait."

Serena leaned in and kissed him gently. "Neither do I."

* * *

"This is the second time I've had to do this, you know," said Serena, blowing her bangs out of her face before lifting another box and heading towards her front door.

Darien quickly interceded by grabbing the cardboard box from her hands and placing it on the floor. "That's what I hired movers for, dear," he said, affectionately kissing the top of her head.

"I know, but this is my grandmother's china, it's fragile."

"Which is clearly indicated on the box," he said, motioning toward it. "Could you have written 'fragile' any bigger? The movers can read Serena."

The blonde chuckled. "Fine, I surrender. You didn't have to hire a cleaning crew though, Dare, I could have cleaned the place myself," she said, eyeing the women in blue dresses as they scrubbed her now completely empty kitchen.

He smirked. "The point of all this was so you wouldn't have to lift a finger, a token of my gratitude for you choosing to stay."

"You bought me a house! That's a token enough."

Darien pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently. "There are some perks to being my girlfriend, you know. You'd better get used to it." She giggled loudly after gently swatted her backside. "Is everything out of the bedroom?"

"Yep, all the rooms are officially empty."

"Good, why don't we leave the rest of this to the movers and go to our new house. You'll need to be there delegate. The furniture is going to be arriving today too."

"I forgot about that," she said, scratching her head. Darien had decided that their brand new six bedroom, seven bathroom, 8,000 square foot home should be filled with brand new furniture. It had been a hell of a battle trying to agree on a design scheme, but in the end, modern won out and they were expecting a huge shipment of deep espresso colored furniture, green plants and red and black decorative pieces to fill their home. "We'd better head out then."

Darien nodded, grabbing her hand and walking towards the elevators. It had been a hectic couple of days. About three hours after she and Darien had decided to cohabitate, his realtor called and they went looking for houses in the Lakeshore district immediately. After three houses that they couldn't agree on, Marie had shown them a Spanish style villa on seven acres of land that they both instantly fell in love with. The house, with its red brick walkway, fountains, and adobe colored walls was like a dream. As soon as they entered, Serena went glassy-eyed as she pictured them lounging around in this house, entertaining here and raising their children here. Darien saw the look on her face and he knew exactly what she was thinking; he was thinking it too.

The next day the two of them went down during Darien's lunch break to sign the papers and get the keys to their new home. Serena hands were trembling as she signed her name to the documents; it wasn't every day that you bought a house with a price tag in the millions.

And now, here they were, their bodies pressed against the leather seats of Darien's red Porsche Cayman Sport. Serena smiled as the engine revved to life and the car pulled out smoothly onto the road. At this point, she felt like her life couldn't get any better.

* * *

Her hands trembled as she opened the bottle, her body shuddering with quiet sobs as she popped another pill into her mouth and swallowed it. It was nearly eleven o' clock at night and Darien still wasn't home. He had told her he was helping Serena move; he hadn't said to where or when he would be back. But Lily, in her paranoia and depression had moved to the file cabinet in his study and found a stack of papers hidden away among other benign files.

She grabbed the manila folder and opened it, her eyes widening as she read over the documents, another bout of nausea ripping through her. Her vision blurred for a moment before returning and her mouth fell agape over what she saw.

He had bought Serena a house.

Not only had he dropped millions on a brand new home for her, he had deeded the house to them both. Her bottom lip quivered; he'd had every intention on pursuing a future with the blonde. Deep in her heart Lily knew this was the first step. Soon they would be married, soon she would be swollen with his child, soon Serena would be living _her_ dream.

She felt a pounding her head and contemplated calling the therapist that Darien had made on call for her. Her breath was coming in short bursts as she looked to the pill bottle that lay idle on the desk behind her. She had just started taking the pills this morning, hoping that the anti-depressants would fill her with a sense of well being. Instead, she felt confused and lethargic and as the day passed on, it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Maybe she was allergic to them; maybe the grief she was feeling was literally making her sick. Her life was falling to pieces in front of her and there was nothing she could do about it.

Panic seemed to be flooding her veins with a viscose poison, pressing out all the happiness through her pores, filling her to brim with new waves of nausea inducing anxiety. She needed Darien here, with her…she didn't care where he was right now or what he was doing. She was feeling miserable and he had promised,_ promised_ he would be there for her when she needed him. And she needed him tonight.

Quickly she dialed his number, her trembling fingers making it difficult to push the button on the cordless phone. It rang once, twice, three times.

"_This is Darien,"_ said a voice, a slight tone of humor evident in his timber; she could hear Serena saying something in the background.

"Where are you?"

"_I'm helping Serena move."_

Lily seethed. "Moving her into the house you two bought together?"

Darien paused for a moment. _"How do you know that?"_

"I'm not stupid, Darien. If you don't want me to find out about your dirty little secret then maybe you should actually lock your file cabinets when you leave."

"_Pardon me for trusting you not to go through my things."_

"Don't blame this on me! You lied to me. Why couldn't you just tell me the truth?"

"_Because this is how you'd react Lily,"_ he said calmly. _"I was going to tell you, just not today. Your therapist said you were doing well this morning. I didn't want to ruin the progress you made."_

She laughed bitterly. "Right, this was all for me, wasn't it?" she said, her body swaying as another bout of dizziness ripped through her.

Darien sighed. "_Let's talk about this when I get home, okay?"_

She scoffed, gripping her chest as it tightened painfully. "Don't bother! Stay there with her for all I care. You've clearly made your choice. I hope the two of you are very happy together," she said, ending the call and throwing the phone against the wall, the plastic shattering with a violent thud as battery and wire exploded from the module and fell to pieces on the hardwood floor.

She sobbed gently, her body falling slightly to the side before hitting the floor with a bone crunching thud. She clutched her chest, short bursts of breath passing her lips, her vision blurring, her mind racing as she felt herself falling in and out of consciousness. She wanted, more than anything, to push herself up from the floor and fall into bed, burying herself in satin sheet and comforter, but her body was so weak, it was so hard to breathe, she was so tired.

She laid there, the lids of her eyes heavy with sleep and turmoil, a whistling sound passing her lips as she wheezed and struggled for breath, her arms going still, her will dissolving as the pictures on the wall began to converge together forming a murky blur of shadow and color. Her eyes fluttered open and closed, sharp pains shooting down her arm into her chest as she lay there listening to the silence, weeping silent tears of sorrow as her vision blurred to darkness and gray shadow became night.

* * *

"I take it she found out and is not thrilled," said Serena, looking to Darien as he held his cell phone in his hand, a stoic expression on his face.

"Not thrilled is an understatement."

Serena sighed. "Did she really think you guys would have some fairytale romance?"

"Apparently she did. Things were never like that between us," he said, resting against a large box and pinching the bridge of his nose. He felt a severe headache coming on. "I liked her company, I liked being around her, but I never loved her the way she loved me. She had always had this vision of us that never really existed. Even now, with the only thing holding us together gone, she still thinks I belong with her."

"She loves you," Serena said, walking towards him. "The way I love you, you can't fault her for that."

"I know and I don't. But the feelings aren't mutual. They never have been. I just wish she would see that," he said, intertwining his fingers with hers and brushing his lips against her cheek. "I hate to do this, but I should go back and check on her. She sounded frantic…I should make sure she's okay. Will you be alright here?"

Serena had known she would have to spend the first couple of nights here alone, at least until Lily was well enough to sleep by herself. Because of her episode the other day, Darien could have had her 5150'd and sent for evaluation but he didn't. After talking to Lily that night, Darien didn't think she was trying to kill herself, but the pain in her wrist was easier to endure than the pain in her heart. After having suffered so many losses himself, he understood how she felt. "I'll be fine," she said simply.

He hesitated. This house was huge for two people, let alone one. But the locks were brand new and the security system was fully functional; it would be nearly impossible for anyone to break in. He knew Serena would be safe. "I'll call you as soon as I get things straightened out with Lily."

"Be careful," she said, "it's late and your old place is nearly an hour from here."

He smiled and placed a small kiss on her lips. "I will. I love you."

"Love you, too," she said, watching as he grabbed his keys and stepped out of the front door to his car, shutting the heavy, intricately carved door behind him.

She listened quietly as the sound of him pulling away flooded her ears before shutting off the light and ascending the sweeping oak staircase, her fingertips brushing against the smooth curved banister. It had been such a long day that all she wanted to do was put the sheets on their new California king bed and sleep. Walking down the long corridor towards the Master Suite she peaked into the large empty rooms. The one closest to the stairwell could be Darien's office and the two on the left side of the hallway could be rooms for their children when they got older. She past another door, the porcelain of the sink glistening beneath moonlight as the glow peaked into the privacy window above the empty wall. There was another bedroom downstairs that could be used as her own study and two more bedrooms nearest theirs. She surmised that the one closest to the Master was meant to be a baby's room. She smiled at the idea, the image of a little child made from a bit of Darien and a bit of her sitting on the floor playing with toys, its eyes lighting up at a glimpse of its mother.

Finally, she reached their bedroom, her hands folding around the brass knob as she pushed open the French doors, her breath hitching as she stared at the room in awe. This bedroom was probably three times the size of her old one and much more elegant. The dark cherry floors shone brightly as the rays from the moon peaked past the glass doors that led to the balcony overlooking the pool and sitting area outside. The crown molding on the tops and bottoms of the wall contrasted perfectly with the floors, converging near the fireplace that lay parallel to the Mahogany four poster bed that lay in the center. There was a small sitting area in the left, a chaise lounge and several chairs and a coffee table taking up the space. Just beside the fireplace, at the far left of the room was the a hallway that led to two matching walk in closets and just further was the Master Bath, a glorious compilation of marble and granite, of Jacuzzi tubs and steams showers and most importantly, his and hers toilets and sinks. For a moment she stood in disbelief. She couldn't believe he had bought this for her, for them and the future that lay before him.

Quickly she pulled open a nearby box and began to make the bed, placing upon it the burgundy Egyptian cotton sheets that she had ordered from the store where they purchased all this furniture. She reached for the comforter, the off-white goose blanket soft and fluffy against her skin as she placed it over the mattress and sheets. She moved to fluff the pillows, to unpack the boxes full of towels and placed them into the linen closet, a whimsical tune passing her lips as she hummed a made up tune. She quieted for a moment, the sound of plastic vibrating against wood rumbling in the distance as she realized that her phone must be ringing and that it was probably Darien calling to tell her he had calmed Lily down and that everything was okay.

She lunged for the phone and held it up to her ear, her eyes alight as she surveyed the bedroom once again. "You must have a way with words," she said into the phone. "You calmed her down really fast." There was a pause on the phone, heavy breathing, a sigh. "Darien? Everything's okay right?"

"No," he said, his voice thick and straining. "Lily…She's dead, Serena."


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

* * *

A/n: Sorry for the delay. I had a really bad case of Viral Gastroenteritis and was MIA for awhile. But I'm back and better now. On with the story!

* * *

People were scattered everywhere as she ran through the lobby toward the elevator, onlookers, residents, wondering what had caused the commotion at nearly one o' clock in the morning. The turnaround in front of the luxury apartment complex was filled with ambulances and cop cars. She gasped when the elevator doors open, more residents loitering in the halls in their pajamas, confused and questioning looks on their faces.

She sprinted quickly towards Darien's old place, her legs like jell-o as they pounded against the floor. Immediately she pressed open the unlocked door and entered to find Darien sitting on the couch, his hair messily askew, a look of unabashed shock and fear painted across his face.

"Ma'am you can't be here," said a burly officer looking toward her.

"She's my partner, I called her," said Darien, his throat dry, a look of worry etched into his features. The police exchanged a look.

"Then we may need a statement from her too," said the man, signaling for her to join them. Quickly she joined Darien on the couch, lacing her fingers with his.

"I'm Officer Cuthbert this Detective Liu-"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand why the police are involved."

"It's protocol, when a seemingly healthy person is found dead its procedure to investigate."

"Does that mean we're suspects?" asked Serena.

"Not necessarily. The body has already been taken for an autopsy, until we determine whether this was accidental or not, nobody's a suspect."

"But since you found her, we will need a statement from you son, and be as exact as possible," said the Detective.

Darien took a breath. "Uh, she called me at about 11:30. She was upset about something she found in my file cabinet-"

"Which was?"

"The new deed to mine and Serena's house."

Detective Liu frowned. "Were you at some point involved with the deceased?"

"Yes, a while ago. We broke up months before I moved back to Japan. She followed me here, claiming that she was pregnant and the baby was mine. A little more than a week ago she was in a car accident and miscarried. I brought her back here so that I could look after her while she recuperated."

"I see. So she called you upset tonight?"

"Yes. I had made it clear that I had no intention on pursuing a relationship with her and had been seeing Serena since before she came back to Japan. After the death of the baby, she became severely depressed and I decided to not to tell her that Serena and I had purchased a house together because it might upset her more. But she went through my things tonight and found the paperwork and called me upset about it. I left the new house and came back here to check on her. I got here at about 12:20 and found her laying on the floor in my study. I called 911 and performed CPR but couldn't revive her. The paramedics arrived and I called Serena. By the time I got here her body hadn't gone into rigor mortis and was still warm. I thought I could revive her…but…I couldn't…"

"Would Lily have any reason for suicide?"

"Her baby just died and I told her we had no future together," said Darien bitterly, guilt creeping up on him. "I'd say so."

The Detective and Officer exchanged a look. "Miss…"

"Tsukino, Serena Tsukino."

"Miss Tsukino, did you have any contact with Ms. Mardot?"

"Yes, once, at the mall. I ran into Darien and Lily shopping for baby clothes. We didn't speak though and I left the mall shortly thereafter. Other than that we haven't had any contact."

"I see," said Detective Liu. "Well I suppose that's all we need for now. We'll contact you if we had any more questions. Don't leave the country."

* * *

Darien nodded, his eyes narrowing as a police officer exited his study with a small Ziploc bag enclosing an open bottle of pills. The pills that he had prescribed to Lily for her depression.

He woke to her breathing, the gentle rise and fall of her chest, her bangs scattered across her head, small strands of gold resting against porcelain skin. The sunlight was peeking through the sheer curtains, bathing the wooden floors in an earthy glow. He looked over to the clock; it was barely nine. He didn't want his insomnia to wake her, so he gently rolled from the bed and stretched, surveying the room quietly.

He couldn't sleep in his old penthouse; after the police had questioned them they had left, leaving Serena's car there and making the one hour drive to their new home in silence. Serena had offered to drive, but he promptly said no. He needed his thoughts to be occupied by something other than the knowledge that Lily was dead.

He let out a breath, slow and ragged as he padded toward the bedroom door and out into the hallway. Slowly he descended the stairwell, his bare feet cold against the floor as he came to sit in the nearly empty family room and where he sat on the couch and rested his head against the brown leather sofa. He stared into the nothingness, his eyes falling upon toffee colored bare walls, his mind a frenzy of worry and grief. Had Lily killed herself? Had it been because of him? Because of all the pain he caused her? Had she used the pills he had given her to take her own life? He shut his eyes roughly, squeezing them together until all the light was pushed away by darkness.

That was how Serena found him, hunched over the sofa, his eyes shut, his face a mask of unavoidable pain. He flinched when he felt her fingers brush against his shoulder and opened his eyes to see the look of concern emanating from her.

"I didn't want to wake you," he said.

"You should have. What time did you wake up?"

He glanced at the wall clock. "I don't know. An hour ago."

She sighed. "I can't believe any of this is happening."

"Yeah…I hate to think…that she killed herself. And it was because of me."

"It was not because of you…it was…a lot of things. Starting with the death of your baby, which had nothing do with either of us."

"I should have had her hospitalized, after she slit her wrist."

"I don't mean to give less gravity to her actions, but I know a lot of people who have done that. It's not always suicide, sometimes, it's escapism."

"But this time it wasn't, she wanted to die-"

"We don't know that. It could have been anything. I know she was young, but heart attacks, strokes, other illness' you didn't know about…it could have been anything that killed her."

He put his head in his hands. "She just wanted a family…that's all she wanted. And now she'll never have the chance to have the one thing she wanted most."

Serena frowned. What could she say to ease his pain? She understood the guilt, the regret he was feeling and she knew that only time could take his pain away. So she sat with him, in the quiet, in the stillness of the morning, until the sound of playing children pervaded the silence, until the chirping of birds filled the air. She turned to him and kissed his cheek, her fingers coming to stroke his forehead, his arms, her lips falling from his face, to the soft skin of his exposed neck. The kisses were soft, feathery strokes of her lips that tickled and filled his belly with the soft nudge of desire. His eyes closed and he groaned, his breathing louder as she moved towards him, straddling him on the couch, her white, terry cloth robe falling to the floor behind her.

She looked down into his eyes, closing her own and moving to the cover his mouth with hers. Her lips moved gently, hungrily, her tongue dancing with his as she ground herself against him, a slight moan passing his lips as he tugged her nightgown over shoulders, exposing her bare breasts to the elements. Goosebumps formed on her skin as the cold hit her nude chest. His hands came to cup her breasts, expert thumbs and fingers flicking and pinching at her nipples until he covered the swollen buds with his lips, pulling and suckling with his tongue as her body arched into him, small moans coming from her.

He grabbed her by the waist and lowered her to the ground, hooking his fingers around under her yellow underwear as she lifted her bottom to allow him to pull them off. Quickly he removed his own barriers and covered her with himself, easing is member inside of her until he was encapsulated by her wet warmth. All thoughts of last night melted away to the furthest corners of his mind and he let himself get lost inside her. He moved gently as first, small little thrusts as she squirmed and groaned beneath him, until the raw need for release seized him. He maneuvered her legs until they rested above his shoulders and repositioned himself above her, letting himself sink into her with deep thrust after thrust, the very end of him reaching so deep inside of her. He groaned loudly, his hips pounding into her as she cried out over and over, until her body shuddered with release, her nails gripping and clawing at his back, the sting of pain intensifying his pleasure until he buried himself in her neck and cried out his release, his seed flooding her womb until his shuddering came to a halt.

He looked down to her, her cheeks rosy, a satisfied smile on her face and he kissed her gently, long, languid kisses against her lips until he rested his head against her chest, closing his eyes and reveling in the feeling of being so closely connected to her until memories of last night's events flooded back.

* * *

"She's moved you know," said Dante, smoothing his long blonde ponytail before looking to Seiya. "Some house in the Lakeshore District."

"By herself?" asked Seiya, staring uninterestedly at the man before him.

"No, with Doctor Chiba."

"When?"

"About three days ago, the day Lily _died._"

"I see…do you have an address?"

"I do, sir. Do you intend on paying her a visit?"

"No, not necessary. Weeks from now she'll be living in that empty villa alone and I'll swoop in to pick up the pieces."

"What are you planning on doing, sir?"

Seiya chuckled. "Nothing. I'm going to sit back and watch. There's nothing in this world sweeter than victory, Dante. Nothing."

* * *

It had been nearly a month since Lily's death and subsequent funeral and Darien was finally starting to feel like himself again. It had been a difficult week shortly after her death. He had to contact her friends and the distant relatives that he did know about. One week after her death and autopsy, they buried her that the Juban Cemetery. Darien had flown her close friends out and put them up in a hotel so they could properly mourn. Surprisingly none of them blamed him; Lily's departure from New York had been quite the surprise for them and so had the news of her pregnancy. They had said their tearful goodbyes to Lily and whispered sentiments of comfort to Darien prior to their departure. Every day after that for him got easier, every day the guilt lessened, the regret dissipated.

"Breakfast is ready," said Serena from the bottom of the stairwell. He smiled and adjusted his tie before walking down the stairs into the kitchen. There she was, standing in front of the stove, an airy pink nightgown the only thing covering her body. "Morning."

"Morning," he said, kissing her on the cheek as she handed him a plate of blueberry waffles, eggs and bacon. "You keep waking me up with these kinds of breakfasts, I'll be fat in no time."

Serena chuckled. "I guess you'll just have to work those calories off with me when you come home tonight then," she said, giving him a look.

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" he asked, setting the plate down and kissing her neck. "And that if you keep talking like that, that you're going to make me late for work again?"

"I didn't make you late for anything," she said, closing her eyes and leaning her body against him as she continued to kiss down her shoulders. "No one told you to do me on the kitchen counter yesterday morning."

"No one told you to come down and cook wearing nothing but lace panties."

She laughed. "Good point," she said, elbowing him gently in the ribs. "But you can't be late again, so go eat your breakfast."

He smirked before playfully swatting her backside and grabbing his plate. He moved to place a spoonful of eggs in his mouth when the doorbell chimed. "You expecting someone?" he asked, putting his napkin down on the table.

"No. Yesterday one of our neighbors came over to borrow a cup of flour and then an hour later some milk for her three year old. Maybe it's someone else that wants to _borrow _our groceries. I'll get it."

"No in that you won't," he said, eyeing her outfit.

She rolled her eyes before throwing on her robe. "Of course darling," she said, kissing his head before walking out of the kitchen, through the formal dining room and to the door. She twisted the knob and gasped slightly, surprised by who was glaring at her from the threshold.

"Detective Charlie Liu," said the Asian man, flashing his badge and frowning at the young blonde. "Is Darien Chiba here?"

"Yes," she said, looking to find Officer Cuthbert and four other officers behind him.

"What's this about?"

"We need to speak to him."

Serena was just about to motion for them to come in when Darien appeared behind her, a confused expression upon his face. "Can I help you officer?"

"Yes, you can," said the detective pushing past Serena and grabbing Darien around the shoulder. Quickly Officer Cuthbert came in and pressed Darien into the wall, placing metal cuff upon his wrists.

"What are you doing?" yelled Serena as a female officer came and pulled her away from her boyfriend.

"Darien Chiba, you are under arrest for the murder of Lillian Mardot. You have the right to remain silent," said the detective, fastening the cuffs closed, "anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as they have been said to you?"

"What? Let him go, he hasn't done anything!" cried Serena, trying to get towards Darien as the female police officer acted as a barricade.

"It's okay, Serena, call Robert Barnes, he's my attorney," said Darien as they pushed him out of the door. "It'll be okay, just call him."

Serena watched, horrified as the officers led him away, put him into the back of the police car and sped away.

* * *

Serena sat quietly, her fingers drumming against the table, her hands running through her hair, an exasperated sigh passing her lips. She looked to the north corner in the room and her heart broke as they led him toward her, the orange jumpsuit clinging to his body, the chains rattling as he trudged toward her, his look stern and fearful.

He sat before her and she touched the glass before picking up the phone to her right and watching as he did the same.

She sniffed. "Are you alright? I mean…obviously you're not alright. Did they hurt you?" she asked, tears falling from her cheeks.

"I'm okay," he said, his voice monotone. "They didn't hurt me."

"It's been two days, they wouldn't let me see you…they wouldn't tell me anything. I had to find out from the news. Why would they think you poisoned Lily?"

Darien sighed. "Her toxicology report confirmed high levels of Cyanide in her system. The pill bottle that they extracted from the penthouse had anti-depressants laced with Cyanide."

"So?"

"So I prescribed those pills to her." Serena quieted for a moment, her heart beating painfully. "They found my fingerprints on the bottle, Lily's and one more person they are trying to identify. It's probably the pharmacist," he said, watching her silently, waiting for her to say something, anything. "Serena, I didn't do it, I don't know how Cyanide got in there. They're tracing my bank records to see where I purchased it from."

Her lips quivered. "Of course you didn't do it," she said, her voice sounding strange to even her. "I don't…how is this possible?"

"I don't know. They did an investigation in the hospital. They had the lab test every brand of antidepressant we keep in the pharmacy. Lily's bottle was the only one that had traces of Cyanide in it."

Serena's chest twitched. "Someone did this on purpose! Who would want to have you arrested?"

Darien chuckled. "Three guesses."

The blonde leaned in, dropping her voice an octave. "You think Seiya is behind this?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

Serena shook her head. "No, Seiya may be a lot of things but he is not…not a murderer. He wouldn't kill Lily! He doesn't even know her-"

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Robert and Raye are building a case for my trial. Witnesses from a restaurant called Christabelle's came forward when the police started investigating saying that Seiya brought her into the restaurant months ago. He came through the back entrance and was seated in a private area. He said they had lunch and then left the restaurant separately. Why would she be talking to Seiya? It doesn't make sense."

Serena searched her mind for the answer. Why would Seiya be talking to Lily? "Serena don't confront him…"

"What? I wasn't-"

"I know you. If he did kill Lily and is framing me for it who knows what he'll do to you. Do me a favor okay, take Andrew home with you, pack a bag and stay with Raye-"

"Why?"

"Because all of this has to be about you. He told you that you would regret leaving him. Maybe this is what he meant."

Serena sighed before she took another sip of her tea. "I can't believe this is happening," she said, her eyes raising and falling to the faces of her friends. "This is my fault. If I would have never been involved with Seiya in the first place Darien wouldn't be rotting in prison right now!"

"You cannot blame yourself. We all thought Seiya was a skeevy little bastard but no one expected for him to be a murderer," said Raye. "And Darien is innocent. Robert and I just need to find a way to prove that. Luckily Darien's fingerprints aren't on the pills and we're trying to get the hospital to release video footage of the pharmacy. We have evidence that Darien called the Pharmacy around ten o' clock that night to place the prescription order from his cell phone record. But there is no record of the prescription being placed in the computer system and the pharmacist on duty has been out of the country for the last two weeks. Her name is Clarissa Andrews, but no one can seem to find her, her daughter, or her husband. She took a leave of absence about three days after Lily died."

"She's obviously the missing piece of the puzzle, then," said Serena, biting her lip.

"If Seiya is behind this, maybe he put her somewhere…" said Lita, her eyes squinting in concentration.

"Maybe he killed her," Mina mumbled.

"Let's hope it hasn't gotten to that. Raye what information do you have on Clarissa?"

"Not much. She did her graduate program in Pharmacy at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she grew up. She's out here on a Visa."

Amy frowned. "I have a friend who works down at the US Embassy-"

"And by friend Amy means Greg," said Mina, smirking.

Amy rolled her eyes. "Maybe he can look up whether or not she applied for an Exit Visa."

Raye nodded. "Can you call him now to find out?"

"I can try," said Amy, grabbing her phone and stepping out of the room.

"I know that look on your face, Serena," said Raye. "Don't get involved in this."

"Don't get involved? I'm already involved!"

"I mean do not confront Seiya. Darien is in jail right now and he's more worried that Seiya might attack you or something than he is about himself," said Raye. "I know you want to help, I know you want this to be over but getting yourself hurt or killed isn't going to help. Promise me you won't go to him."

Serena huffed. "I promise, okay."

"Good, I'm going to see Robert tomorrow. Darien's trial's in three weeks. We'll have his case built. I promise."

* * *

"How is she?" asked Darien, his hands clasped together on the table before him.

"You should be more worried about yourself," said Robert.

"She's fine," said Raye, interceding. "She's worried, but she's okay."

"Has she talked to him?" asked Darien.

"No, she's stayed away, just like you asked."

"Good. And the private investigation team?"

Bob chuckled. "You're lucky you're rich, you know that? These guys you hired do some damn good leg work," he said, rifling through a stack of papers. "Clarissa Andrews didn't need an exit Visa to leave Japan and if it hadn't been for them, we wouldn't have found her."

"I guess they were worth the 2.5 I had to drop to get them," said Darien.

"Well if it means ensuring your freedom then yes, they were well worth it. It turns out Mrs. Andrews, maiden name Douglass, was spotted by your guys off the coast of Montenegro on a boat in a middle of the Adriatic Sea. Apparently she won a three month trip from a sweepstakes she apparently didn't remember entering from an organization that was founded a little less than a month ago. She's been in different spots around the world every week for the past month, on a boat, in the middle of the ocean where phone calls and internet usage are being monitored by the captain. Captain's name is Pierre Crusoe; he's been on Seiya's payroll for the last twelve years. He's being paid by Seiya from an offshore account stationed somewhere in Monte Carlo."

"And she just up and took her family on a trip that she didn't even remember signing up for?" Darien asked.

Raye scoffed. "If you were part of the working middle class and you were offered a three month trip to the most lucrative and exclusive ports in the world would you ask questions?" she asked.

"I guess not."

"We told her about your predicament and have arranged a private jet to fly her in the day before the trial. We have submitted her as a witness to the judge and she approved her to testify. Your men are keeping watch over her and we expect that Seiya doesn't suspect a thing," said Bob.

"And we need to keep it that way. According to her, she gave the prescription to Dr. Manheim Forrester, who offered to fill the prescription himself. That morning it was ready for pick up and you came and got it around nine. We had the Forensics team run the bottle for the third set of prints and had them search the hospitals database for the match. It turns out the good doctor left one traceable print on the bottom of the container. We're having another team of private investigators tracing his bank accounts to see exactly how he got hold of the cyanide and another running his prints with security organizations all over the world," said Raye.

"We have reason to believe that Forrester may not be who he says he is," said Bob.

"Why not?"

"A contact in the KGB archives office has information on a man named Joseph Manheim Romanoff," said Raye.

"So?"

"This Mr. Romanoff killed his young wife and mistress eighteen years ago with Cyanide. There were some prints let at the scene but by the time they had a warrant Romanoff had fled the country and hadn't been seen since. There might be a possibility that our Forrester and this Romanoff maybe the same person."

Darien's mouth was agape. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. I've had lunch with that son a bitch more times than I can count."

"Well clearly, if Forrester and Romanoff are the same person, then he's learned to be quite the con artist," said Raye.

"I don't believe this," said Darien his mind wrapping around the idea that his colleague might have been a murderer and had also been an accomplice in him being framed for murder.

"Believe it, and we wouldn't have found it out had it not been for your team. No wonder the rich never go to jail," said Robert smirking.

"And that may be the one thing Seiya underestimated. You may not flaunt your wealth, but you have just as much reach and resources as he does. Now we're on equal playing field."

* * *

"How are you feeling?" asked Serena as she stared at Darien through the reinforced glass.

"Nervous…ready for it to be over. The trial is tomorrow and then we'll know for sure what I have to look forward to."

Serena nodded. "I'm so sorry for all of this."

Darien frowned. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"If Seiya is involved in this then I do."

"If Seiya was involved in this than so was Lily which means I would be just as much to blame as you are," Darien said. "Look at me Serena."

The blonde's eyes flew up to meet his face. "I love you, regardless of what they decide tomorrow. I will always love you."

Serena smiled sadly, a tear trickling down the side of her face. "I love you too. No matter what."


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

* * *

A/N: I'm not a law student, a lawyer, or someone particularly interested in criminal justice. I have made the trial scene as accurate as possible. Happy reading!

* * *

"The defense calls Mrs. Clarissa Andrews to the stand," said Raye, her stature poised and confident. Things had been going better than she ever imagined. The prosecution was finding it difficult to convince the jury of guilt, mainly due to circumstantial evidence and lack of a believable motive. The brunette lawyer watched quietly as Clarissa took the stand, placed her hand on the leather bound Bible and swore to say nothing but the truth.

Raye watched carefully until the young mother took her seat. "Please state your name for the court," she said.

"Clarissa Isabella Douglass-Andrews."

"Clarissa, it seems that everyone calls you Claire. May I call you Claire?"

"You may."

"Claire, in what capacity have you known Darien Chiba?"

"I've known Darien for about eight months in a professional and personal capacity."

"Did you spend a lot of time with Dr. Chiba?"

"A considerable amount. I worked the in the Pharmacy in Internal Medicine where Dr. Chiba practiced. We had the same shifts so we often saw each other and had lunch together at least two to three times a week."

"Do you feel that you know Darien well?"

"I do."

"And during your time spent together, did Darien openly talk about his relationship with Lillian Mardot."

"Yes."

"What did he say about her?"

"Mostly about her surprise visit to Tokyo and subsequent announcement of her pregnancy. At first he was worried about her disrupting his life. That continued for about a couple of weeks. I remember distinctly on a Tuesday, we had gone to The Corner Bakery for lunch. Darien had explicitly talked about getting a picture of his mother and father framed so that he could place it in the baby's room. That he wanted his child to know about the grandparents that it would never meet. He had said that Lily's pregnancy wasn't an ideal situation, but in a sense, having the child made him feel complete. He said he hadn't been a part of anyone's family since he was a child."

"And what did he mean by that, Claire?"

"His mother and father died when he was young in a car crash. He vaguely told me about how he was sort of passed around until he was old enough to take care of himself."

"I see. Thank you, Claire. I would like to discuss with you what happened the night of the twenty second."

"Yes, ma'am."

"What time did you receive the call from Darien asking that a certain prescription be filled?"

"Around 10:30 pm."

"And what was the prescription for?"

"Setraline hydrochloride."

"Which is?"

"An anti depressant more commonly known as Xoloft. It's the mildest anti-depressant available by prescription. He ordered a thirty day supply."

"And what is the normal protocol for filling prescriptions."

"When another physician calls in an order for a patient, the physician who is treating the patient must approve the order before it can be filled."

"And who was treating Lily at the time?"

"Dr. Forrester."

"Full name?"

"Dr. Manheim Forrester."

"And in what capacity do you know Dr. Forrester?"

"Objection, your honor!" cried Alexandra Livingston, the lead attorney for the prosecution.

"On what grounds?" asked the judge.

"This information is irrelevant to the pending case," said the red-head.

"We have called Dr. Forrester to be available to testify, Mrs. Livingston, it is quite relevant to the case," said Raye.

"Overruled, Ms. Hino please continue."

"Thank you. Claire, please continue with your answer."

"Yes, well Dr. Forrester was always cordial to me. But I never spent much time with him. He was usually quiet and generally kept to himself."

"I see. What happened after you took Darien's call?"

"I submitted the order to Dr. Forrester for approval."

"And did Dr. Forrester approve?"

"Yes, but he filled the prescription himself."

Raye's eyes narrowed. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know. He told me I could go and get home to my daughter. I have an eight month old and I had worked a twelve hour shift that day. I thought he was being nice."

"Does Dr. Forrester usually fill his own prescriptions?"

"No. This was the first time."

"Did you check the contents of the bottle before you passed it on to Dr. Chiba?"

"No. Dr. Forrester has been practicing medicine for close to twenty years. I didn't deem it necessary."

"So for some unknown reason, Dr. Forrester decided to take it upon himself to fill an order that he himself didn't even subscribe to the patient? This being an unprecedented event in the, how many years have your worked with him?"

"Seven years."

"In the seven years that the two of you have been colleagues. Very interesting," said Raye, her eyes falling on the jury. "No more questions. The defense calls Dr. Forrester for cross examination," said Raye, her eyes falling to Darien, a small smirk on her face. This case was in the bag. She was sure of it.

Darien watched through narrowed eyes as Forrester took his seat after being sworn in on the witness stand. He shook his head; Forrester was clearly nervous.

"Please state your name for jury."

"Manheim Victor Forrester."

"May I call you Manheim?" asked Raye. The witness nodded. "Mrs. Andrews had some interesting things to say about you Manheim. Are any of those allegations true? Did you fill the prescription yourself?"

"Yes I did," he said, his voice wavering.

"And for what purpose?"

"It was late and I knew Claire needed to get home."

"Documentation from Claire's timesheets stated that's she worked later than 10:30pm, while her child was younger, while you were Lead Attending that night and you never filled any orders for her then. Why that night?"

"I don't know. I was trying to be nice."

"Nice…of course you were. Were you also aware that the security cameras went down between the hours of eleven and one a.m. that night? Security called it a common glitch in the system. A glitch that hasn't occurred since October 31, 1999 when a group of students hacked the system in an attempt to steal Hydrocodone, the common name Vicodin, from the pharmacy. More than ten years ago this happened, and more recently on the night of your impromptu decision to fill Darien's prescription. Correct?"

"I suppose so."

"The defense would like to present Exhibit D," said Raye, grabbing a plastic envelope encasing a detailed document. "Mr. Forrester's phone records from that night. Mrs. Andrews previously stated receiving the call for Dr. Chiba's order at around 10:30, assuming that she went directly to Dr. Forrester's office, she would have arrived at 10:35, after small talk and handing off the prescription to Forrester she would have left the Doctor's office around 10:37. Security cameras in the parking lot have footage of her getting into her car and driving off at exactly 10:44 pm, sixteen minutes before the security system went into failure for two hours. Your phone records indicate that you made a call, your first and only outgoing call that day, at exactly 10:42 pm. A call to a number that was disconnected five days after Lily's death," said Raye, pushing the plastic covered form toward the doctor. "The defense would like to present Exhibit E also, video footage from the parking lot." She handed the DVD to the judge. "Mr. Forrester who did you call that night?"

The older man squirmed. "I don't recall. I think it was a wrong number."

"A wrong number?" Raye asked, smiling inwardly. _Gotcha Mr. Forrester._

"Yes, it happens."

"Indeed it does. But the phone records indicate that the call lasted four minutes and forty one seconds. A rather long conversation for someone who accidentally dialed a wrong number."

The doctor sputtered. "I was confused and…"

"Confused? For nearly five minutes? The call ended at around 10:47 pm, three minutes after Lily shut down the pharmacy and left for home. The security cameras cut off at exactly 11:07 pm. A couple of days later, Lillian Mardot was found dead by her ex-boyfriend and the father of their deceased child. What a coincidence."

"Merely a coincidence, yes," said the man, his voice raised. "If you're implying that I had anything to do with this-"

"Mr. Forrester what did you say your full name again was?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your full name, for the court?"

"Objection, your honor the defense is badgering the witness," cried Alexandra.

"By asking him to repeat his name?" asked Raye.

"Objection overruled. Get to your point Miss Hino."

"Gladly your honor. The defense would like to present Exhibit F," said Raye, holding onto another plastic bound paper. "This is a photo of a man named Joseph Manheim Romanoff, a fugitive of Russia, guilty for a double homicide consisting of the death of his wife and mistress. This photo of a young Romanoff greatly resembles Dr. Forrester does it not?" She held the picture to the jury until every single person had seen it thoroughly, eyes flicking from the picture and to the man sitting in the box beside them. "Moreover, the defense also submitted Nicolai Pavlov as a possible witness for cross examination. A drug dealer who says he sold Cyanide to Joseph Romanoff eighteen years ago before the death of Nadia Romanoff and Tatiana Chekov. A man who says he sold Cyanide to Mr. Forrester four weeks ago. Pavlov has agreed to testify against Dr. Forrester in exchange for the KGB granting leniency in his sentencing. He was arrested two weeks ago for solicitation, possession, for possession with intent to sell and embezzlement. Meanwhile the defense would like to present fingerprinting analysis provided by the KGB to the Japanese Intelligence Services that confirm Romanoff and Forrester to be one in the same."

Raye turned her head to meet the gaze of Alexandra Livingston who sat in her chair, her mouth agape, her face stunned. "Mr. Forrester…or Romanoff, whomever you are. I'm sure you have no motive for acting alone and the court, upon approval, might be able to negotiate your return to Russia and your sentencing if you release the name of the person you are working for. Who solicited you to kill Lillian Mardot?" asked Raye, her hands resting against the witness stand.

Forrester squirmed in his chair, his brow wet with sweat. Every crime, every bit of his past was coming back to haunt him. Either way, he would die in prison in Russia or he would be hunted down and killed by Seiya Takagawa. His eyes fell to Darien Chiba who stared back at him, his mouth slightly gaping, his knuckles white from gripping the wooden handles of his chair.

One good deed wouldn't justify a lifetime of heinous deeds. But the young doctor had done nothing wrong. For the first time in his life, under the undeniable knowledge that he was facing either death or imprisonment Manheim Forrester, better yet Joseph Romanoff did the first and last good thing he would ever do in his life: he told the truth.

"Seiya Takagawa," he said, "it was Seiya Takagawa."

* * *

Not guilty…not guilty…dismissed of all charges. Darien's mind couldn't even wrap around the idea that he was a free man. Not even as Serena peppered him with kisses, not even as Robert and Raye congratulated each other on a job well done, not even as the press shoved microphones and tape recorders in his face or as flashes of white bursts from photographers' cameras nearly blinded him could he believe that after a month, _a month_ in jail, that he was free…

He ducked into the limo, still quiet, his palms clammy and sweaty as Serena climbed in behind him followed by Raye and Robert. The driver quickly shut the door and pushed through the vulture like reporters until they sped away slowly from the mob.

Darien immediately looked up to Raye. "I knew you were a good lawyer Raye, but I didn't know you were that good!" he said.

Raye blushed furiously. "There were so many inconsistencies, it was easy," she said. "And I think it's different when you're fighting for someone you care about."

"I can't believe he folded," said Serena.

"I can't believe I looked him in the face every day and never knew I was working with a murderer," said Darien, rubbing his hands over his face.

"This isn't over. I'm sure the judge is going to have the DA cross examine him for Seiya's motive. He either killed Lily just to get to you-"

"Or she did something to provoke him," said Darien.

Serena frowned, her body going lax against the seat, her heart hammering in her chest as Darien turned to her. "What's wrong?"

"I did something to provoke him, enough to have killed Lily, to have framed you and Forr-Romanoff ratted him out…he's going to come after me. He's going to make me regret it just like he said-"

"He's not going to do anything to you, Serena," Darien said, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Darien's right, the police are putting together a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of murder, he's going to be within custody within the day," said Raye, placing a hand on Serena's knee.

"Seiya has people everywhere! He had someone working with you, in a hospital, of course he's going to have people on the inside, on the intelligence committee, everywhere, he could be out of the country for all we know!" she said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Look at me," Darien said, cupping her chin in his hands and turning her head to face him. "Nothing is going to happen to you. Do you understand me? Because I won't let it. Seiya's going to get what he deserves and until he does Serena, I'll protect you, no matter what the cost."

* * *

It had been two weeks of silence and Serena felt as though she were suffocating inside. For the most part, things in her life were getting back to normal. Darien had gotten his job back after being put on an administrative leave without pay during the murder trial. In fact he had been promoted to Lead Attending Physician, the title that Forrester had before his past came back to haunt him. Serena had found the time to get back into designing wedding dresses and ball gowns. It had been a side business during her time at Vogue, but now jobless, she had the opportunity to rediscover why she loved designing fashion so much.

Darien had been her pillar of support. About three days ago he led her to one of the empty bedrooms, a blindfold securely fastened around her eyes before he pulled it out, revealing an empty bedroom that he had transformed into a design and sewing studio. She nearly burst into tears when she surveyed the room that was meticulously decorated for her and wondered when he'd had the time to do this and how he'd' kept her from finding out. He made no response when she asked, just winked and kissed her on the cheek.

Everything in her life would have nearly perfect. Except for the fact that the same afternoon of the trial, Forrester had been escorted out of the court by an unmarked car.

Three days later he was found in pieces in his penthouse downtown.

And the worst part of it all was that Seiya was nowhere to be found. Shortly after they had arrived home the police had gotten the warrant to arrest him. Two weeks later, they still had no idea where he was. There was trace of him, no trail left behind, none of his known bank accounts had been touched and there were no charges on his credit cards. Like a puff of smoke he had disappeared; there was a chance he would never be found.

Serena sighed and peaked out her window, her eyes falling on the burly man that was standing on the porch below her door, his thick, veiny muscles encased in a tight black crewneck t-shirt. After Seiya's untimely disappearance Darien had insisted on hiring a security team to be around Serena twenty four hours a day. They'd had three good arguments over it before she relented. For the last two weeks these men had followed her to every store, every meeting, every fashion show…she felt like she was a prisoner in her own home. Darien had said it was a precaution. And she believed him; after all, he just wanted to keep her safe.

"Serena?" called a familiar voice as he stepped in behind her and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Hi, honey," she said sweetly, dropping her charcoal pencil and turning in her chair to face him. "Good day?"

"Better now that I'm home," said Darien, loosening his tie.

"I should hope so," said Serena, standing up to lean in and kiss him. "If you want to go wash up, dinners ready."

"What are we having? I'm starving."

"Who's the bottomless pit now?" she asked, chuckling.

"You keep me…busy," he said, a naughty grin on his face. "Keeps my metabolism high."

"Of course it does," she said, shaking her head. "We're having Chateubriand with grilled portabello mushrooms, risotto and grilled asparagus."

Darien's mouth watered. "If you would have told me seven years ago that you be the next Iron Chef I would have laughed until I was blue in the face."

She grinned. "Lita told me that if I didn't learn how to cook I would never find a husband," Serena said, pulling the tie from Darien's neck and removing his coat.

"Lita said that?"

"Yup."

"And does she have a husband?"

"Nope."

"Looks like that plan backfired," he said, following her to the bedroom and watching as she hung up his coat and tie in the closet.

"Yeah, it back fired after she said it. We had to sit and listen to Raye yell and scream about equality between the sexes and men being able to cook for their wives. She was in Intro to Women's Studies at the time. It was two and a half hours of my life I'll never get back," she said, reaching for Darien's white collared shirt that he had discarded onto the bed.

He chuckled. "Well maybe Lita was almost right. Out of all the girls you're the closest to getting married."

Serena turned to look at him before tossing his shirt into the hamper. "Am I, now? Darien Chiba, didn't anyone ever tell you not to say things you don't mean?"

He smirked. "Of course I mean it."

"How close am I?"

He laughed. "If I told you that, it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?"

"Of course you'd say that."

Darien unbuckled his belt and removed his black Ralph Lauren trousers. "It's closer than you think. I don't want to ruin the moment. Be prepared though, because it's coming."

"Sure it is," she said, feigning nonchalance. "You go get comfortable, I'll go finish dinner."

Darien watched quietly as she sauntered out of the room before fingering the small box in his side pocket. He peaked around the corner to make sure Serena was gone and extracted the small velvet container. Gently he lifted the lid and smiled, the two carat princess cut diamond sparkling under the bedroom lighting, the platinum of the band silvery and smooth.

* * *

"I'M ROTTING IN THIS FUCK HOLE OF A TOWN AND YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME?" cried Seiya, flinging saliva as he yelled into the phone.

"Calm down, we're doing the best we can to reclaim some of your accounts. You're wanted for murder in the first degree, not to mention attempted vehicular homicide, and solicitation. Forrester confessed everything to the DA. You'll be lucky if you can ever walk the streets again, Seiya. There isn't much we can do," said the man, his tone exasperated. "And I wouldn't exactly call Burgenland, Austria a fuck hole."

"Watch it smart ass-"

"No you watch it. You had a woman murdered Seiya, you made your bed hard now lay in it. Maybe you're finally getting what you deserve."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I can't help you. Don't call me again."

Seiya looked into the phone as it went dead, a small bead of sweat dripping from his forehead on to the cherry wood desk beneath him. Everything, everything was ruined. Stocks in his company had plummeted nearly two thousand points over the last two weeks. A majority of his bank accounts were seized and he was wanted in every country that was allied with Japan including the United States. He put his head in his hands and sobbed, hot tears falling from his face into the palm of his hands.

All of this was because of her, if she would have stayed away from Darien, if she wouldn't have married him and left with him, none of this would have happened. Everything was gone and it was her fault! He laughed loudly, his chuckles turning into bitter sobs as the sound of laughter became weeping. She would know the pain that he was feeling. If Darien loved her so much then he could have her…in pieces.

"Lorenzo," cried Seiya, his face awash with crazed determination. "Fuel the jet."

"But sir," began the man, raising to his feet and frowning.

"Don't but sir me, just do as I say!"

"Y-yes, Mr. Takagawa. I'll need to t-tell the pilot a flight plan."

Seiya looked at Lorenzo for a moment before turning away. "We're going back to Japan."


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

* * *

A/N: Two more chapters after this and this story will be done. Thanks for following thus far and hope you enjoy this and the subsequent chapters

* * *

It was just past midnight when she woke, a sudden jolt of adrenaline causing her to wake as she sat up quickly in bed. She looked around, blurry vision focusing on the radio clock nearest to her.

12:14.

Darien had been called out around ten after one of his patient's went into cardiac arrest. On nights like this it was anyone's guess when he would be home. Serena tried to shake her head clear of any fear that may be resting there. This wasn't the first night she'd spend alone in this house and it probably wouldn't be her last. Still, something about tonight felt different, wrong. Everything about this room, this house felt sinister, as if a spectre was looming, watching her from the shadows.

"Get a grip, girl, you're twenty-five not ten," she muttered, throwing her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet hitting the chilly wood with a thump. She rolled her shoulders back and paused, eyes squinting in the darkness as she walked toward the bedroom door, alert ears listening for sense of movement.

She pulled the French door open gently, gripping her shoulders, feeling beneath her fingers the prickly bumps that formed on her flesh front the cold. One step after another she descended down the stairs, her eyes falling on the dark van that stayed perpetually parked in front of her home. She sighed; nothing to worry about, the security team was still out there in their creepy cars with the tinted windows, watching her.

She moved past the dining room into the kitchen, passing through the open archway when she felt it…the hair on the back of neck was rising, a numb jolt of cold fear sweeping through her. She turned around quickly, studying the empty space, scanning the room with her eyes, looking for something, anything that could send her body into such a sense of disarray.

She shook her head when she found nothing. Paranoia was becoming a bedfellow of hers and the vastness of this house only made her feel that much more alone inside it.

It was official, they were getting a dog.

She walked slowly into the kitchen, her fingers flipping the light switch, sighing inwardly once the kitchen was filled with golden illumination. Serena walked toward the cabinet, her hands reaching above her to grasp at the knob when she saw it…her eyes widening as they focused on the stainless steel refrigerator door, the reflection of what lay behind her sending her mind into a frenzy of panic. She turned around sharply, pressing her body against the counter until her eyes fell upon the smeared puddle of blood that started in the northeast corner of the kitchen and ended just past the hallway parallel to her.

Panic seized her muscles and for a moment, she was rooted to the ground in fear. Adrenaline pumped through her and she flinched, her body screaming, begging for her to move. She lunged toward the dining room, her bare feet hitting the floor with loud thumps as she ran, her breath coming in short bursts. She reached for the handle, gripping it to pull it open when suddenly she felt a hand against her arm, a strong grip squeezing into her flesh and she screamed, a muffled yell in the silence, her voice loud and strong until a large hand covered her lips.

She felt her body pulled backwards and against him, the familiar smell of his Versace cologne pervading her nostrils. "I didn't kill all of your body guards just to let you get a way, Serena," he said, kissing the side of her neck and breathing in her aroma. "You smell so good, just like I remember."

"Seiya, please-"

"Now she begs for it," he said, dragging her into the sitting room and throwing her onto the couch, her ankle slamming into the coffee table and crunching noisily. He smirked when she screamed, a wide eyed look of terror on her face.

"Please just, let me go…don't do this-"

"Don't do what?" he said, looking at his hands. They were stained with dried, dark blood. "You don't even know what I'm here for."

"I know you're upset," said Serena, grabbing her angle and pulling herself onto the couch. "But-"

"But what?" he asked, a crazed look on his face. "You left me for another man and sent the entire state of Japan after me. Do you know what it's like, to be on the run for your life? To have everything you've worked so hard at taken away from you. My company, my houses, my wealth. IT'S ALL GONE…and it's all because of you!"

He lunged at her, gripping her by the ankle and pulling her toward him, his body coming to cover hers. She moved beneath him, trying hard as she could to escape. The blonde watched in horror as he pulled his arm back, his fist coming to contact with the side of her face with such blunt force her vision went black and she swayed, a trickle of blood falling from her nose.

"I want you to hurt the way that I do!" he cried hitting her again, his fist pummeling into her face as she cried, his hand stained with her blood. He pulled her up to him, her head lolling behind her as unconsciousness claimed her.

"Better yet, I want Darien to hurt the way I do, to watch as the most precious thing in his life is taken away from him," said Seiya brushing her golden hair from her face. "I'm going to hurt you Serena and I'm going to kill you, in front of him, and he will hear every cry, every scream that comes out of your mouth. He'll watch as you beg me for death and then I'm going to kill you. And then I'm going to kill him."

She shuddered in his arms for a moment as he watched her before grabbing her by the hair, pulling her hair back and slamming her head into the glass table before them. Blinding pain ripped through her, her mind slipping away into the world of darkness as Seiya gathered her limp, lifeless body in his arms.

* * *

Darien pressed open front door and shut it quietly behind him. The last thing he wanted to was wake Serena up with the noise. It was nearly three am and he was exhausted. All he wanted to do now was crawl into bed beside her and sleep for the next few days.

Slowly he removed his jacket, tossing it onto the couch before reaching for his tie and loosening it around his neck. He ran his fingers through his hair as walked toward the banister, the reflection of moonlight hitting glass drawing his attention to the east. His brow furrowed when he noticed the broken glass, pieces of the coffee table he and Serena had picked out scattered across the floor, traces of golden stands of hair and blood matted within the shards.

_Serena_.

His mind was alight with panic. Where were the guards? Where were the fucking guards? He ran into the kitchen, the dining room, into the empty study and the living room. He peaked into the backyard, watching as the sparkling pool reflected the crystalline evening sky.

"Serena?" he asked. "Serena!" He ran upstairs, his long legs taking two steps at a time until he reached the landing. He kicked in every door, searching, scanning each room for her as fumbling fingers dialed 911.

"Azabu 911, what is the location of your emergency?"

"1413 Birch Dr, Lakeshore," he said, his voice quivering as he ran toward the bedroom the phone nearly dropping from his hands when he saw her.

She was so bloody, so bruised, her body pushed into a chair, her hands bound behind her. Her head was drooping, the blonde strands of her scalp stained orange. Remotely he could hear the operator talking, asking him questions, but he had moved away from the dropped cellular phone so quickly that her voice was drowned out by the silence. He kneeled before her, trembling fingers moving to her face, her neck, his hand pushing against her chest, his fingers clasping her wrist, kneading and pressing into the skin until he could find a pulse.

He exhaled loudly, when he found it, the slow methodical beat against his index finger. Her breathing was shallow, her heartbeat weak, but she was still alive. He moved toward the phone, his body twisting and standing to find himself face to face with the attacker that did this to her.

"Seiya," he growled out, lunging at the man, their bodies pressed together, fists flying as one tried to land a hit on another. Equally matched they dueled until they both collapsed onto the bed, their bodies hitting the chair Serena sat in, toppling it over, her head hitting the wood with another hard crunch.

Darien looked to her, his eyes filled with concern. It was the one moment of weakness Seiya had been hoping for. He pulled his arm back, edging his fist into the older man's face before throwing him to the ground. Darien yelled out as his back hit the floor; Seiya hovered above him, drew his leg back and buried his foot into Darien's rib cage, a sound popping as hit foot connected, once, twice into his abdomen. Pain made his vision fade into black and he could vaguely taste the copper tang of blood on his lips.

"Darien," Serena whispered, her eyes rolling into the back of her head, a searing pain in her face and head, her eyelids fluttering as she struggled to come back to this conscious plane of existence. The topple over in her chair had lodged her from the seat and from her position from the floor she could vaguely see Seiya rushing towards her.

The crazed billionaire grabbed at her, his body colliding with her feet as she used her heels and thrust her legs upward into his face, his head snapping back from the impact, the bone in his nose snapping.

"You stupid bitch!" he cried, gripping his face, small trickiest of his own blood staining his swollen hands.

She screamed as she struggled to stand up, her previous head injury and bound arms hindering her from running away. "Darien! DARIEN!" she cried, her voice stronger, louder, snapping him from his stupor.

He looked to her, his midnight black hair falling into his right eye that was beginning to swell. Filled with the sheer will to protect her he rose up, tackling the younger man until his body slammed into the mirror, the reflective glass shattering, breaking shards off into his back.

"FUCK!" he screamed, pain shooting through Seiya as the sharp ends penetrated his flesh, digging and wedging deep into his muscles.

After the shattering, she could hear it, the distant wailing of police sirens chasing the remnants of danger away. Seiya heard it too; the notion of impending danger sent a burst of strength through him. He cried out loudly before grabbing Darien by the throat and pushing backwards past the bed, past the closets until he flung the older man through the glass balcony doors, the sounds of shattering and falling glass like gun shots in the quiet of the night. Darien fell backwards his head hitting the balcony rail with a loud thump, his body falling to the ground and lying still.

Serena struggled against her bindings, eyes widening with fear as Seiya neared her. She watched in complete horror as he bent over and collected a shard of glass from the floor running towards her body and kneeling before her.

"Your little boyfriend is dead in the corner and there's no one to help you!" he cried, gripping the large slab of glass and jamming it into her flesh just below her waist. She screamed, the searing pain in her abdomen amplified as Seiya pushed it deeper inside of her, staining her nightgown brown as blood dripped and slid down his arm onto the floor. She screamed again, over and over, begging for him to stop as he removed the piece and jammed into her again, the agony in her belly overwhelming. She shut her eyes her body writhing on the floor when she suddenly felt his weight lifting off her. Jamming her eyes opened she watched as Darien pummeled into him, the force of his tackled throwing Seiya out of the bedroom and into the walkway.

She rolled over, gripping the open would, eyes widening as she saw the glass sticking out of her stomach, her blood tarnishing the translucent mirror. Serena lifted her head, watching as Darien fists collided into Seiya's mouth, his face, his groin, grunts of anger and frustration passing from her lover's lips as he drove Seiya away.

Darien's mind was alight with pure rage for what he had seen Seiya do to her. His hands, feet were moving on their own accord. Punch after punch he landed, until Seiya's body teetered on the edge of the stairs, until stark realization flashed against the young billionaires eyes, until Darien's fist collided with his abdomen, thrusting the man backwards until he collapsed against the stairwell, his body slamming against the banister before rolling down the steps, his legs flying over his head, his bones breaking, his body slamming into the wood at the bottom of the staircase until he was still, until the house was quiet, until the front door burst open and Darien met the careful, watchful eye of Detective Liu, a nine millimeter aiming at his face.

Darien looked down into the face of his attacker, glassy empty eyes staring back at him.

* * *

"You really should be getting some rest, " said Amy, peeking into the hospital room and staring pointedly at Darien, his back to her. "I may not be Lead Attending Physician yet, but I know tired patient when I see one."

Darien smiled and looked over to her. The bruises on his face were healing nicely. "It's hard to leave her."

"She's in good hands, though. Even a doctor needs his rest. The transfusion was successful, she'll be fine," said Amy, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

He nodded, knowing she was right. It was hard to leave her side after what happened. Watching Seiya torture her from the balcony had nearly killed him. Luckily he hadn't hit any organs; several staples and a blood transfusion later, her attending physician said that she should be up in no time. That was yesterday and she still hadn't fully woken up yet. As soon as he heard her voice and could look into her eyes he would rest, until then, he didn't plan on taking his eyes off her.

"Any word about Seiya?" asked Amy, her voice quivering, her mind racing back to that night. She remembered how scared she was when she got the phone call from Raye. She couldn't imagine what Serena had been through. Held hostage and tortured in her own home; she shivered at the thought.

"He's in police custody."

"Seiya's good at getting out of a bind, what if he escapes? What if he has someone on the inside? What if-"

"He fell down the stairs and broke his neck. C5 to C8 and his spinal cord suffered lesions," Darien said, looking Amy. "He's a quadriplegic."

"What?" Amy asked, shocked.

"They haven't released that to the new s yet. I don't know why. He's being tried for…I can't even remember all the things Detective Liu said; obstruction of justice, aggravated assault, assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, first degree murder, solicitation, vehicular manslaughter…the list goes on."

"Maybe they don't want to incite pity."

"Pity or not he's going to jail. We'll just have to see whether it will be with or without a metal plate in his spine."

"Well he certainly deserved it."

Darien scoffed. "He killed my baby and Lily, broke into my house and killed my guards and tortured my girlfriend. He deserves worse."

"He's paralyzed, Darien. He's got a lifetime of being imprisoned in his own body not to mention confinement in a holding cell. His assets have been dissolved…he's lost everything. I don't think it can get much worse." Darien nodded. "Promise me you'll get some rest."

He looked to her and smiled. "I promise."

"Okay, good night," said Amy, closing the door behind her as walked away from the couple.

Darien stared into Serena's face, admiring how beautiful she looked even injured, when her eyes began to gently flutter open. She squinted at first, her blue orbs adjusting to the light, her vision steadying to focus on the man she loved.

Quickly he scooted him, his hand falling to rest against her scalp, the other cupping her hand.

"Dare?"

"I'm right here, baby," he said, stroking her forehead.

"Where is here?"

"Azabu general?"

"Oh," she said, pausing and looking up to him. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I'm sick of this place."

Darien chuckled. "You're sick of this place? I work here."

Serena giggled. "Ow…she glanced down at her abdomen and frown. "How long should I expect to be in pain, doctor?"

"Doctor," he smirked lewdly. "We've never played this game before. Leave it to you to play the doctor patient game when you're out of commission." Serena laughed and rolled her eyes. "You have fourteen staples holding your guts in. I'd say for a couple of weeks at best."

"Great…I guess my sexy hero boyfriend will have to pamper and take care of me."

"Hero boyfriend? Just doing my job miss."

Serena's smile faded. "Thank you, for saving me. I'm sure Seiya would have killed me if it hadn't been for you."

Darien leaned and gently kissed her forehead. "I would do anything for you. Seiya will never hurt you again."

"How can you be sure?"

"He's confined to a wheelchair, Serena. I talked to Raye, the DA is pursuing multiple life sentences," he said, stroking her cheek. "He can't hurt you anymore."

Serena smiled looking towards him. "This has been the craziest, saddest, most eventful year of my life," she said. "But I found you and I'm going to keep you, no matter what."

Darien laughed. "We made it through crazy plotting exes, serial killing exes, murder trials, unfortunate accidents, identity theft, russian drug dealers…I can't even believe we're still alive."

Serena laughed harder. "Ouch, damn it. It's not funny," she said, eyeing him as he laughed.

Darien was right, they had survived more than the average couple in the last several months than most people had in their lifetime. Deep in her heart she knew the struggle was over and now their lives together could truly begin.

* * *

"Stay in bed!"

Serena groaned. "I've been in bed for a week now, Darien, I am fine!" she said, throwing her legs over the side of her bed and padding after him.

"Serena, I'm a doctor, you have to listen to me," he responded, an exasperated look on his face.

"Don't you I'm a doctor me, Darien Chiba," she said, her hands on her hips. "All I want to do is make breakfast for myself and my gorgeous Doctor boyfriend. Is that so much to ask?"

"Yes, especially when you're gorgeous doctor boyfriend had you discharged early because I promised your doctor and Amy, who did not approve mind you, that I would make sure you got enough bed rest. Besides, I made my gorgeous girlfriend breakfast for a change."

"You, made me, breakfast?" she asked, her eyebrow raising.

"Miracles do happen, from time to time," he said sarcastically.

"And may I ask what you made."

"Your favorites; chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs and turkey sausage, and you ruined the surprise!"

"Oh, I'm sorry darling," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a fiery kiss. "I promise I'll make it up to you later."

"I'm looking forward to it, now get back in bed."

"Sir, yes sir, Dr. Chiba," she said, mock saluting him before turning on her heel and marching back into the bedroom.

Darien smiled at her antics before skipping down the stairs into their massive kitchen to finish plating her breakfast. Carefully he placed the fluffy pancakes, cheesy eggs and sizzling sausage on to a white plate before placing it on the tray. He grabbed the glass full of fresh squeezed orange juice and placed it by the steaming plate of food. He was pretty proud of himself, he never ever cooked on a regular basis, so this meal was a pretty big deal.

But despite the full platter, her breakfast surprise wasn't complete.

Carefully Darien dug into his pocket and extracted the small velvet box that he had been hiding from Serena in his underwear drawer and placed on the tray opposite her glass of juice. He had envisioned sweeping Serena away to an island and proposing on some beach in the tropic, but her injuries were going to keep her grounded for a while and he couldn't wait any longer. They had been through so much already; he couldn't wait any longer for her to be his wife.

Cautiously he grabbed the tray before heading up the wooden stairs and down the hall towards their bedroom. Darien laughed when Serena nearly squealed with delight as he entered the bedroom with her tray of food.

"Breakfast in bed," she said, leaning back into the pillow. "Really, Darien, a girl could get used to this."

He smiled. "This girl may have to."

Slowly he bent over and placed the tray over her lap and sat down on the bed beside her. She surveyed the contents of the plate and nearly killed over. These were all her favorite breakfast foods! And they all looked so good. She grabbed her fork, hovering over each item with it, mentally deciding what she should eat first. Darien nearly had a laughing fit over how deliriously happy and confused she looked over which food to eat first. She moved to stab into the sausage when her brain switched from starvation mode to _gee I wonder what's in that box mode._

"Darien what's that?" she asked, putting her fork down on her tray and looking up to him quizzically.

"You'll just have to open it and find out."

Immediately she grabbed for the box, the velvet overlay supple and padded against her fingers. Slowly she lifted the lid, the curiosity against her face slowly melting into an expression of shocked disbelief. There, within this box, laid the most beautiful trinket she had laid eyes on. The princess cut diamond sparkled beneath luminescent bedroom lighting, the platinum band round and delicate. She looked up to Darien, her mouth agape, her throat dry.

"Is this…Is it…Is this what I think it is."

"I love you. I've loved you since we were kids and could never imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else. Serena, make me the happiest man in the world and say that you'll marry me?"

She paused for a moment, her jaw hurting as it sagged open on her face. "Absolutely I will."

Immediately Darien leaned in and took the ring from the box, then the box from her hand and placed it on the table beside them. He gently grabbed her left hand and slid the diamond onto her ring finger. She looked to the ring them to him and kissed him, long and languid, slow and soft, until they both needed to come up for air.

"Oh. My. God…WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!" she cried, her smile brightening by the second. "I have to tell the girls! I have to tell my mom." She paused. "But I have to eat first, everything on this plate smells so good!"

And this time Darien couldn't help it. He laughed, clutching his belly he fell back onto the bed.

Some things never changed.

* * *

"What did you call all of us over here for, Serena? You're not secretly dating some megalomaniac serial killer again are you?" asked Lita, plopping into the leather easy chair behind. She frowned when all the girls turned to give her a look. "What? Bad taste? Too soon?"

"Too soon," said Raye, rolling her smiles as Lita smiled sheepishly. "But seriously what's the big deal and where's that boyfriend of yours?"

"He went out to the grocery store. He said with me being home and bored all day we're going through food faster than usual," said Serena, her left hand tucked carefully away behind her back.

"So are you going to tell us why we're here or not?" asked Mina.

"Okay, impatient," said Serena.

"Wait…wait…let's guess," said Lita. "Me first…You're pregnant."

"No!" yelled Serena, "no guessing."

"She's irritable," whispered Raye to Lita. "She might be pregnant."

"I am not, Raye!"

Amy chuckled. "Serena, tell us," she said eagerly.

"Well, I'm not pregnant, but I have news just as big."

"One of us is pregnant?" asked Lita.

"Oh my god, Lita, what do you have, babies on the brain or something?" asked Mina. "Serena's trying to tell us that she's…"

Serena paused before thrusting her left hand forward and wriggling her fingers."Engaged!"

The quiet room suddenly filled with the sound of ecstatic screaming girls as each young woman jumped to her feet, screaming , crying, dancing and celebrating in their own way. Raye and Amy were admiring Serena's ring while Mina did some sort of happy dance in the corner and Lita continuously punched the air.

"I can't believe it! I mean I can believe it, you know, 'cause he loves you. But I can't believe it, oh my god! You have to let me plan it, I'm the best wedding planner in Tokyo and of course I won't charge you a dime, because you're my best friend. Do you like orchids, I like orchids. Or Lilies. OH, SERENA YOU LOVE LILIES. We could have Lilies and Carnations, I have so many ideas already…"

"Is she ever going to stop talking?" Lita whispered to Raye and Amy as they watched Mina spew ideas to Serena who already looked over whelmed.

Amy was just about to intercede on Serena's behalf when the front door swung open and Darien entered carrying several bags of groceries. As soon as he put them down Mina ran and pounced on him.

"Oh my god, congratulations, Serena just told me. I can't believe it, well I can believe it, but I can't believe it…we barely found out you guys were dating and now you're getting married and Serena said I could plan it, and I won't charge you and it'll be fabulous. We were thinking about doing it outside, you know, with some fresh flowers or whatever…" Darien looked to Serena for help, his mouth agape. He was completely overwhelmed by Mina's sudden outburst and more so by the fact that it seemed as if she hadn't taken a breath since she started talking.

"Yeah congrats, Dare," said Raye, gently pushing Mina, who was still talking, out of the way and hugging him as Lita and Amy followed suit.

"Thanks. I got Thai food. I figured we could all have dinner together," said Darien, placing take out boxes onto the table. "Andrew is on his way."

"Andrew's on his way?" asked Mina, going wide eyed.

"Yes, he is Mina. Why don't you tell him your wedding ideas," said Serena, sending a look to Darien, who bit his lip to keep from laughing.

"Oh…oh….no, I couldn't do _that_," said Mina.

"Because that would actually involve her talking to him, which we know she's not good at," mumbled Lita.

"For godsakes, Mina you are twenty six years old," cried Raye, walking into the kitchen and coming back with a bag of paper plates.

"I know how old I am Raye," pouted Mina. "And look who's talking, you can't even talk to that new lawyer at your job without turning red-faced. What's his name? Job?"

"Jed!" yelled Raye.

"Jed?" asked the Amy, Lita and Serena.

"Where the hell is he from?" asked Lita.

"It's short for Jadeite!"

"Because that's better," mumbled Lita to Amy who struggled to keep from laughing.

"It's not funny. His mom was a jeweler, she named all her sons after precious stones. He's got a brother named Nephrite. Everyone just calls him Ned. You might like him Lita," said Raye, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Wait, wait, wait…their names are Ned and Jed?" asked Serena, her lips twitching. "Darien we are not naming our children anything like that!"

"Why not? Rhyming names are cool. Like Mary and Barry," he said grinning.

"No freaking way," she responded.

"So is _Ned_ cute?" asked Lita.

"Why don't you come to lunch with me and find out," said Raye to Lita as the doorbell chimed. "Mina, I think the doors for you."

Mina scowled as Raye nudged her towards the front door, which she reluctantly opened. Andrew smiled down at the blonde before waving to the rest of the crew. "Hey, Mina," he said, walking in past her. "You look nice today."

"Thank…I…Umm…SERENA AND DARIEN ARE GETTING MARRIED," she yelled at him.

"MINA!" cried the girls.

"I'm sorry it just slipped out," she said, looking apologetically at Serena and Darien who seemed to find it funny.

"Congrats man," said Andrew hugging Darien and then Serena after congratulating her.

"We'll need dates!" said Lita. "I need to meet this Ned!"

"Amy can bring Greg!" said Serena.

"Shut it…" mumbled Amy.

"And Mina and Andrew can go together," said Raye mischievously.

"I think that's a great idea," said Andrew, a little louder than he should have.

"Really?" asked Mina, looking to him, her face painted with shock.

"Yeah, really," he said shyly.

"Oh…me too, then."

"Good, it's settled. Love connection aside, can we eat now? I'm starving," said Serena, opening the food containers.

"Watch out Dare, she's like this and she's not even pregnant yet!" said Raye.

"Hey, I heard that!"

Darien smiled and looked up at her, imagining her pregnant with his child. "I can't wait."


End file.
